PM explains rationale behind Family Card initiative

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday explained the rationale behind the government's much-discussed Family Card programme, saying the initiative was designed to strengthen household welfare and stimulate local economic activity.

Speaking at an exchange of views with journalists at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital’s Agargaon, he said research on the programme began in 2011.

“We started researching the Family Card concept in 2011. Adviser and spokesperson Mahdi Amin was involved in the research process,” the prime minister said.

Read More

Sports, cultural activities vital to protect youths from drugs: PM

According to the findings, providing financial assistance directly to women in households is more likely to improve family welfare than giving the money to male family members.

“Our research showed that if the money is given to a man, it may be spent within a week. But when it is given to a homemaker, she tends to prioritise essential family needs such as medicines, children's education, books and better food,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said women are also more likely to save part of the money and eventually use those savings to start small income-generating activities.

“Over time, some may use their savings to raise poultry or livestock or start a small business. They may also spend on clothing, household necessities or other family needs. This spending ultimately supports local industries and businesses,” he said.

The prime minister argued that the programme will have a multiplier effect on rural economies by increasing local consumption and creating employment opportunities.

“If 300 women in a village receive Tk2,500 each month, that means Tk750,000 enters the local economy every month. Grocery stores and small businesses will see higher sales, and many shop owners may need to hire additional workers,” he said.

He said the same economic principle will apply to the proposed Farmers Card programme.

“We want to economically empower the nearly 75% of people who live in rural areas. This money is not being siphoned out of the country; it remains within our economy and indirectly supports domestic industries,” he said.

Tarique Rahman said the government initially considered limiting the programme to selected beneficiaries but later opted for a universal approach to reduce the risk of corruption.

“We realised that selecting beneficiaries could create opportunities for irregularities. Therefore, we decided to make the programme universal,” he said.

Under the proposed scheme, the wives of farmers, shopkeepers, teachers and other citizens will all be eligible to receive benefits, he added.

The prime minister said Bangladesh has around four crore families and the government intends to gradually bring all eligible families under the programme. However, he estimated that around 1.5 crore families may voluntarily opt out because they do not need the support.

He said the government plans to distribute Family Card benefits to about 4.12 million families during the first year of implementation, starting from July this year.

Acknowledging the possibility of operational challenges, Tarique Rahman said pilot projects had been conducted over the past three months to minimise errors before the nationwide rollout.