Family Card:  Tk 130bn needed next fiscal year

The government plans to issue ‘Family Cards’ to another 4 million (40 lakh) female heads of households in the 2026–27 fiscal year (July–June). This would require Tk 130 billion (13,000 crore). Social welfare minister AZM Zahid Hossain has sent a demi-official (DO) letter to the Ministry of Finance requesting the allocation.

The Ministry of Finance is now seeking ways to arrange the substantial funding required for implementing the ruling BNP government’s election pledge of the ‘Family Card’. A meeting is scheduled today, Thursday, at the Ministry of Finance to decide whether the funds will come from which social safety net programmes or there will be a special allocation.

However, officials concerned say the decision on the source of funds will have to come from the highest level of the government.

Selim Raihan, professor of economics at the University of Dhaka and executive director of the independent research organisation SANEM, told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh’s economy is currently facing challenges.

He said the Family Card is a good initiative for low-income people. Funds could be reallocated from other sectors, but financial transparency must be ensured here. It must be ensured that no influential people are included in the Family Card programme and that no irregularities occur.

Selim Raihan also raised concerns about the capacity of the Ministry of Social Welfare. He said the ministry does not have prior experience in managing such a huge budget. Therefore, emphasis must be placed on how the Family Card programme is to be implemented. A database of beneficiaries must be created. More than 100 social safety net programmes currently exist, and reforms in these areas are necessary.

On 31 March, the social welfare minister sent a demi-official letter to finance minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. In the letter, he said the current government has prioritised the Family Card in its election manifesto.

As part of this, a pilot programme was formally launched on 10 March. The full nationwide implementation is scheduled to begin in the 2026–27 fiscal year.

A target has been set to provide allowances under the Family Card programme to 4 million female heads of households across the country in the next fiscal year. To achieve this target, Tk 130 billion (13,000 crore) will be required.

The letter states that ensuring women’s empowerment, rights, dignity and economic independence—along with national development and social justice—is a key commitment of the current government. The landmark programme of issuing Family Cards in the name of female heads of households is being implemented as part of this.

In its manifesto for the 13th parliamentary election, BNP pledged to introduce the Family Card. The party stated that under the programme, low-income and marginal families would receive Tk 2,500 per month or equivalent essential goods.

After securing an absolute majority in the election, BNP formed the government on 17 February. On 10 March, prime minister Tarique Rahman formally launched the Family Card programme at the T&T playground adjacent to the Korail slum in Banani area of Dhaka. Under the pilot project, 37,567 women have so far received Family Cards in Dhaka and other districts.

For the pilot phase, Tk 380 million (38 crore) has been allocated for four months until June. An additional Tk 130 billion (13,000 crore) will be required in the next fiscal year.

On 25 March, a tripartite meeting was held at the Ministry of Finance regarding budget allocations of the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The meeting discussed whether funds from TR, Food for Work( KABIKHA, Kaj-er Binimoye Khaddo) and humanitarian assistance programmes could be reallocated to the Family Card scheme.

According to the meeting minutes, Tk 79.43 billion (7,943 crore) has been allocated for TR, KABIKHA and humanitarian assistance in the 2026–27 fiscal year.

The meeting emphasised the need to eliminate overlap among programmes such as TR, KABIKHA and humanitarian assistance. It also stressed ending duplication in the activities of Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief with different ministries and departments.

There was also emphasis on integrating these programmes into a single visible initiative in the future. It is stated that in the next fiscal year, a total of Tk 79.43 billion (7,943 crore) has been allocated for the TR, KABIKHA, and humanitarian assistance programmes. A portion of these funds could be transferred to the Family Card scheme. However, the final decision must come from the highest level of government.

The meeting also discussed the lack of coordination among various ministries in implementing social safety programmes. It was noted that providing similar assistance through multiple ministries is creating duplication. Once the Family Card is fully implemented, beneficiaries can be selected through a centralised database, which will help reduce this duplication.

Khondaker Golam Moazzem, research director at the independent think tank Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), told Prothom Alo that the economy has not yet fully recovered from its fragile condition. Therefore, certain issues need to be considered before fully implementing the Family Card programme.

Firstly, of the roughly 140 existing social safety programmes, any that overlap with the Family Card should be excluded. This would help reduce costs. Secondly, it is not feasible to implement the Family Card for everyone at once; priority should be given to low-income families.

Thirdly, given the current pace of revenue collection, allocating funds for the Family Card in the budget is challenging. Hence, areas where revenue leakage or avoidance occurs should be identified, and measures should be taken to recover funds from those sources, he added.