Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has said the government’s proposed Family Card programme will not create pressure on the national budget and will not conflict with existing social services.
Responding to a supplementary question from National Citizen Party (NCP) lawmaker Md Abul Hasnat in the Jatiya Sangsad, the Prime Minister described the initiative as an investment by the state.
He said the programme would not increase inflation; rather, it is expected to help reduce it while also supporting local industries and creating employment.
The Prime Minister announced that the Family Card programme will be implemented gradually, targeting around four crore families across the country. He noted that such a large-scale initiative cannot be executed at once, as it requires detailed data collection on each household.
“In the first phase, the cards will be distributed among marginalised families,” he said, adding that both the budget allocation and the number of beneficiaries will expand step by step.
He further explained that current calculations indicate no significant burden on the budget from the programme.
Highlighting inefficiencies in existing social safety schemes, Tarique Rahman said research has found that some individuals receive multiple benefits. He said the government plans to eliminate duplicate benefits gradually while maintaining support for genuine recipients.
The Prime Minister emphasized that the programme will not drive inflation, as it will not involve printing additional money. Instead, he said, the financial support—set at Tk 2,500 per family—will likely be spent on essential goods such as clothing and children’s educational materials, most of which are locally produced.
As a result, he noted, the funds will circulate within the rural economy, boosting local industries and economic activity.
