On his second day in office, prime minister Tareque Rahman, on Thursday instructed officials to begin the distribution of Family Cards ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr during the upcoming Ramadan.

Several cabinet ministers briefed the media at the Secretariat after the meeting, including information and broadcasting minister Zahir Uddin Swapan, environment, forest and climate change minister Abdul Awal Mintu, and agriculture minister Mohammed Amin Ur Rashid.

Swapan stated that the government plans to distribute the Family Cards to female members of approximately five crore families, starting with the most vulnerable groups, including the extreme poor. The distribution will then extend to the poor and middle-income families.

‘There will be cash assistance ranging from Tk 2,000 to Tk 2,500 per month,’ Swapan added, emphasizing the importance of direct cash support for disadvantaged communities.

The Family Card scheme was one of the key promises in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s election manifesto, which played a significant role in the party’s landslide victory in the 13th National Parliament Election held on February 12. The BNP formed the new government after securing a majority in the polls, with Tareque Rahman assuming the role of prime minister.

In line with his election pledge, prime minister Rahman has decided to form a committee to oversee the implementation of the Family Card program, which will be led by Finance Minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury. The local government ministry, the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs, and the Ministry of Social Welfare, among others, will collaborate to ensure the initiative’s success.

Environment minister Abdul Awal Mintu confirmed that some beneficiaries would receive their Family Cards before Eid. The distribution will prioritize the most vulnerable groups based on survey findings.

Ministers emphasised that the Family Card initiative would be universal, distributed to eligible families regardless of their political affiliation.

Details about the distribution process and further updates will be provided in due course.