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Independent MP Hasnat Abdullah has challenged the government over the fiscal footprint of the Family Card scheme, warning it could fuel inflationary pressure.
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, responding during Wednesday’s parliamentary session, brushed aside these concerns, maintaining that a phased rollout will prevent any sudden budgetary shocks, bdnews24.com reports.
He argued that the initiative would actually serve to cool inflation by stabilising the purchasing power of the nation's most vulnerable citizens.
The exchange occurred during the prime minister’s dedicated question time, presided over by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.
Hasnat, representing Cumilla-4, raised a supplementary question following an earlier discussion on social safety nets.
He pointed out that covering 40 million families would require an astronomical Tk 1.34 trillion annually when administrative costs are factored in.
Hasnat also drew attention to the newly launched Farmer Card programme, which is set to cost another Tk 70 billion to support over 20 million farmers.
While acknowledging the schemes are popular, he questioned if such heavy spending on a "dependent economy" would truly move the needle toward self-reliance.
He pressed the government to clarify whether this funding is being diverted from existing projects or represents entirely new expenditure that could drive up the cost of living.
The prime minister countered by noting the sheer scale of public demand, even ribbing Hasnat by mentioning that women in the MP's own constituency are eager for the cards.
He explained that a "big bang" rollout for 40 million families is a logistical impossibility for any government.
Instead, the state is currently gathering granular data to ensure the most "at-risk" households are prioritised in the first wave of distribution.
Brushing off the risk of a fiscal crisis, Tarique said current government projections show the budget can absorb the costs without breaking a sweat.
“There is no reason to expect major pressure on the budget based on our estimates,” he said.