Family Card Rollout Before Eid, Confirm Ministers
Environment, Forest and Climate Change Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo has announced that the much-discussed Family Card initiative will be launched on a pilot basis before the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr.
Meanwhile, Information and Broadcasting Minister Zahir Uddin Swapan said that nearly five crore underprivileged families—including the extremely poor, persons with disabilities, widows, and other marginalized groups—will receive the Family Card before Eid. He added that under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, the government has already begun implementing several of its election pledges over the past two days.
The ministers made these remarks on Thursday (February 19) while responding to journalists’ questions following an inter-ministerial meeting held at the Secretariat, chaired by the Prime Minister.
The Information Minister said the Prime Minister is spending busy working days and that a significant decision has been taken with the participation of all relevant cabinet members and advisers. “We have received final instructions from the Prime Minister. As you know, our widely publicized commitment—the Family Card—we will, InshaAllah, begin distribution before Eid, starting this month,” he said. “Over the past two days, we have already initiated work on several of our promises under the Prime Minister’s leadership. We seek the nation’s prayers and your cooperation in implementing these programs.”
He described the Family Card as one of the most important commitments in the party’s election manifesto. According to him, every woman in each family across Bangladesh will gradually receive this card. He also mentioned that other programs were discussed and advanced during the meeting.
When asked whether the initiative would begin during Ramadan, Environment Minister Abdul Awal Mintoo clarified that it would be launched as a pilot project before Eid. “Our Prime Minister wants to at least begin it as a pilot project before Eid. That much I know,” he said.
Responding to comments from the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD), which warned that failure to introduce the Family Card in the upcoming fiscal year could negatively impact electoral prospects, the minister said there is no concern about implementation. “It will be launched—there is no problem about that. We are now working out the mechanism, meaning how exactly the program will be rolled out,” he explained.
The Environment Minister added that the Family Card issue was clearly detailed in the election manifesto, and discussions at the meeting focused on how to make it effective. “We discussed the distribution of the Family Card today,” he said.
When asked how many families would receive the card, he replied that the initiative is universal in nature and will not have restrictions. However, a committee has been formed to determine the rollout sequence. “It may begin with the extremely poor, then move to the poor, followed by the middle class, and so on,” he said.
DBTech/IH/MUM/OR
