PM opens Family Card programme

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has inaugurated the government’s landmark 'Family Card' programme by distributing cards among beneficiaries at a ceremony in the capital.

The premier handed over family cards to 17 women at the inauguration ceremony at the T&T playground in Banani, adjacent to the Korail slum, on Tuesday.

Later, Tarique Rahman transferred money to the accounts of 37,567 women in 14 locations across different districts by pressing a button on a laptop, BSS reports.

Dr Zubaida Rahman, spouse of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman; 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 on the occasion.

The Family Card Programme is part of the government’s commitment to achieving national development and social justice by empowering women and recognising them as heads of families in social protection programmes.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman launched the Family Card programme just 21 days after the formation of his government.

At the ceremony, Rina Begum, a beneficiary of the programme who lives in the city’s Sattala slum, expressed her joy, saying, “Thank you, Prime Minister. I never dreamed that I would get this card. This money will help my family a lot.”

This pilot programme was launched today in 14 locations across different districts of the country, including Dhaka.

In the first phase, 37,567 women received family cards, with each beneficiary getting Tk 2,500 per month.

Under the pilot programme, beneficiaries from the city’s Karail slum, Sattala slum, Bhasantek slum, Mirpur Circle or Shah Ali’s Ward-8, Alimia’s Tech slum (Ward-14) and Baganbari slum received family cards today.

In addition, the programme was launched in Pangsha of Rajbari, Patiya of Chattogram, Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria, Lama of Bandarban, Khalishpur of Khulna, Char Fassion 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 NFC (Near Field Communication) technology, ensuring security, durability and ease of use.

Each card will cover up to five members of a household, while larger joint families may receive multiple cards proportionately.

During the pilot phase, selected beneficiaries will receive a monthly allowance of Tk 2,500, and the government may later consider providing equivalent food assistance.

However, families will not be eligible if any member receives a salary, allowance or pension from the government, autonomous bodies or state-owned institutions.

Households with commercial licences, large businesses and 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 the women’s mobile wallets or bank accounts, enabling them to receive support without delay or intermediaries.

For the pilot implementation up to June 2026, the government has allocated Tk 380.7 million (Tk 38.07 crore), of which Tk 251.5 million (Tk 25.15 crore) will be distributed as direct cash support and Tk 129.2 million (Tk 12.92 crore) will be used for programme implementation, including data collection, development of the online system and card production.