Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today inaugurated the government’s landmark “Family Card” programme aimed at empowering women and strengthening social protection in the country.
The premier formally launched the programme by handing over Family Cards to 17 women at an inauguration ceremony held at the T&T playground in Banani, adjacent to the Korail slum, in the capital this morning.
Later, the prime minister transferred funds to the accounts of 37,567 women beneficiaries in 14 locations across different districts by pressing a button on a laptop.
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, among others, were present at the event.
The Family Card Programme is part of the government’s commitment to promoting national development and social justice by recognising women as heads of families in social protection initiatives.
The programme was launched just 21 days after the formation of the current government.
At the ceremony, programme beneficiary Rina Begum, a resident of Sattala slum in the capital, expressed gratitude to the prime minister, saying the financial support would greatly help her family.
The pilot programme has been launched in 14 locations across the country, including Dhaka. In the first phase, 37,567 women are receiving Family Cards, with each beneficiary getting a monthly allowance of Tk 2,500.
Beneficiaries in the capital include residents of Korail slum, Sattala slum, Bhasantek slum, Shah Ali’s Ward-8 in Mirpur Circle, Alimia’s Tech slum in Ward-14 and Baganbari slum.
The programme has also been launched in Pangsha of Rajbari, Patiya of Chattogram, Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria, Lama of Bandarban, Khalishpur of Khulna, Charfasion of Bhola, Dirai of Sunamganj, Bhairab of Kishoreganj, Bogura Sadar, Lalpur of Natore, Thakurgaon Sadar and Nawabganj of Dinajpur.
Under the programme, each eligible household will receive a modern Family Card equipped with a contactless chip, QR code and Near Field Communication (NFC) technology to ensure security and ease of use.
Each card will cover up to five members of a household, while larger families may receive additional cards proportionately.
During the pilot phase, beneficiaries will receive Tk 2,500 per month, and the government may later consider providing equivalent food assistance.
However, households will not qualify if any member receives salary, allowance or pension from the government, autonomous bodies or state-owned institutions. Families with commercial licences, large businesses, luxury assets such as cars or air conditioners, or savings certificates worth Tk 500,000 or more will also be excluded.
The allowance will be transferred directly to beneficiaries through the Government-to-Person (G2P) digital payment system, credited to women’s mobile wallets or bank accounts to ensure transparency and prevent intermediaries.
For the pilot phase running until June 2026, the government has allocated Tk 38.07 crore. Of this amount, Tk 25.15 crore (66.06 percent) will be distributed as direct cash assistance, while Tk 12.92 crore (33.94 percent) will be used for programme implementation, including data collection, development of the online system and production of the cards.