Around 40,000 families are set to benefit from the issuance of Family Cards in the initial phase within the next four months, with an estimated expenditure of approximately Tk 39 crore.
Commencing from March 10, a monthly allocation of 10,000 families will be granted these cards, as outlined in the Family Card Piloting Implementation Guideline, 2026. Each family holding the card will receive Tk 2,500 per month.
Funds amounting to Tk 39 crore have been designated from the block allocation of the current fiscal year’s revised budget, according to a finance ministry official cited by The Daily Star.
Out of this sum, Tk 25.15 crore will be utilized for the stipend, while the remaining portion will cater to the beneficiary selection process, the official further explained.
The guideline specifies that Tk 4.8 crore will be allocated for field surveys, and Tk 5.08 crore for the acquisition of smart cards and related items.
In the initial phase, data on 50 aspects of 320,000 families across 14 wards will be gathered to evaluate their eligibility. To facilitate this operation, 560 supervisors will be appointed, each receiving Tk 5,000.
By June, the data collection process will be finalized, and 40,000 beneficiaries will be selected.
The designated 14 upazilas for the pilot phase include Banani (Korail, Sattala, and Bhashantek slums) and Mirpur/Shah Ali (Oli Miar Tek and Baganbari slums) in Dhaka; Pangsha in Rajbari; Patenga in Chattogram; Banchharampur in Brahmanbaria; Lama in Bandarban; Khalishpur in Khulna; Charfesson in Bhola; Derai in Sunamganj; Bhairab in Kishoreganj; Bogura Sadar in Bogura; Lalpur in Natore; Thakurgaon Sadar in Thakurgaon; and Nawabganj in Dinajpur.
The overarching goal of the government is to progressively encompass two crore families in a monthly financial assistance scheme, in accordance with the guideline.
Upon full implementation, the program—promised by the BNP during elections—will incur a monthly cost of approximately Tk 5,000 crore and an annual cost of about Tk 60,000 crore.
The anticipated yearly budget would represent nearly 12 percent of the revenue target for the fiscal year, potentially making it the most substantial social expenditure commitment in Bangladesh’s history.
The Family Card Piloting Implementation Guideline, 2026, crafted by the social welfare ministry, envisions the evolution of the family card into a “Universal Social ID Card” for all citizens by 2030, along with elevating the social security budget to 3 percent of GDP by 2028.
Presently, a total of 95 social safety net programs are administered by 23 ministries, with an allocation of Tk 1.26 lakh crore for the current fiscal year, equivalent to 1.87 percent of GDP.
Under the new initiative, cards will be issued under the female head of the household’s name, and beneficiaries will be selected using the Proxy Means Test (PMT) scoring system, a methodical poverty assessment approach.
Rural families owning 0.50 acres of homestead or less, along with cultivable land, will be deemed eligible, with income and assets evaluations conducted to pinpoint impoverished and ultra-poor households.
Families with members who are regular government employees, pensioners, commercial license holders, large business owners, or possess cars or air conditioners will be excluded.
Preference will be given to landless individuals, the homeless, persons with disabilities, and marginalized communities, including hijra, Bede, and small ethnic groups.
Selection procedures will be managed by committees established at city, upazila, union, municipality, and ward levels.
Government officials will oversee the program