PM orders expansion of Family Card programme across country

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has chaired an important meeting to discuss the phased expansion and implementation strategy of the Family Card distribution programme across the country . The meeting was held at the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat on Monday.

The meeting discussed in detail the progress of the Family Card programme—one of the key pledges in the BNP's election manifesto—and the outline for its phased expansion nationwide . The Family Card is a database-driven digital identification and social protection instrument designed to deliver regular financial assistance directly to vulnerable households . Under the pilot phase, launched on 10 March, each card-holding family receives Tk 2,500 per month .

The Prime Minister stressed the need for formulating a realistic plan for phased expansion, ensuring optimal use of modern technology, and effective coordination among all relevant ministries and agencies. He said it is essential to build a reliable and integrated database to deliver the benefits of the Family Card to the actual beneficiaries effectively, transparently and accurately .

To this end, he directed officials to ensure maximum transparency and accountability at every stage of the information collection, verification and beneficiary selection process .

The meeting was attended by Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain, State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin, Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin, PM's Principal Secretary ABM Abdus Sattar, SDG Chief Coordinator Professor SM Abdul Awal, and Special Secretary of BNP's National Executive Committee Belayet Hossain Mridha, along with senior officials from relevant ministries and departments .

The government aims to gradually bring two crore families under the Family Card scheme, which would cost about Tk 5,000 crore a month . For the 2026–27 fiscal year, the government has proposed distributing Family Cards to 41 lakh beneficiaries with an allocation of Tk 14,500 crore . The programme envisions transforming the Family Card into a Universal Social ID Card for every citizen by 2030.