Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday formally launched the government’s “Family Card” programme aimed at strengthening women’s economic empowerment and expanding social protection across Bangladesh, with a target to bring four crore families headed by women under the scheme within the next five years.
The programme was inaugurated at a ceremony held at the T&T playground in Banani, adjacent to the Korail slum in the capital.
At the event, the Prime Minister handed over family cards to 17 women beneficiaries and later transferred allowances to the accounts of 37,567 women in 14 locations across the country by pressing a button on a laptop.
Speaking on the occasion, Tarique Rahman said empowering women is essential for the country’s overall progress, noting that nearly half of Bangladesh’s population is female.
“Half of the population of Bangladesh is women. If we leave this half behind and fail to empower them educationally and economically, it will not be possible to move the country forward,” he said.
The Prime Minister expressed optimism that the programme would gradually expand nationwide, bringing about four crore families headed by women under the initiative within the next five years.
He said the government has started the programme with a pilot phase as required by administrative procedures and will expand it gradually after evaluating the results.
Under the pilot project, the programme has been launched in 14 upazilas and urban areas across the country, covering more than 37,000 women. Around 15,000 women in three areas of the capital - Korail, Bhashantek and Sattala - received the cards in the first phase.
Each beneficiary will receive a monthly allowance of Tk2,500 through the Family Card system.
The Family Card is a modern digital card equipped with a contactless chip, QR code and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology, designed to ensure secure and convenient distribution of benefits. Each card can cover up to five members of a household, while larger families may receive multiple cards based on their size.
The allowance will be transferred directly to beneficiaries through the Government-to-Person (G2P) digital payment system, depositing funds into women’s mobile wallets or bank accounts.
For the pilot implementation running until June 2026, the government has allocated Tk38.07 crore. Of the total amount, Tk25.15 crore will be distributed as direct cash support to beneficiaries, while Tk12.92 crore will be used for programme implementation, including data collection, system development and card production.
During the ceremony, Rina Begum, a beneficiary from Sattala slum, expressed gratitude after receiving the card.
“Thank you to the Prime Minister. I never imagined I would receive such support. This money will help my family a lot,” she said.
The Prime Minister also noted that the initiative fulfils a key election pledge made by his party, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).
He added that work is also underway to introduce a similar “Farmer Card” programme and mentioned that the government has already announced the waiver of agricultural loans of up to Tk10,000, including interest.
Recalling the contributions of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia to women’s education, Tarique Rahman said his government now aims to strengthen women’s economic independence.
He urged citizens to remain patient and supportive as the government works to gradually implement its commitments despite global economic challenges.
Dr Zubaida Rahman, spouse of the Prime Minister, Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, Social Welfare Secretary Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf and Dhaka North City Corporation Administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan were also present at the event.
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