Dhaka, Mar 10 (V7N) – The government is set to introduce a Family Card program on a pilot basis for female-headed households, under which each beneficiary family will receive Tk 2,500 per month. The allowance will be sent directly to the beneficiary’s mobile wallet or bank account, allowing them to receive the money from home.

The program will be formally inaugurated by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday (March 10) at 10:00 am at the T&T Playground, Banani, located next to the Karail Slum in the capital.

According to a government information release on Monday, the pilot program will be implemented in 15 wards of 13 city corporations and unions across 13 districts. During the initial data collection phase, information on 67,854 female-headed households was gathered nationwide. After verification of 51,805 extremely poor, poor, and lower-middle-income households, 47,777 were found valid.

However, after eliminating cases of double benefits, government employment, pensions, and other allowances, a total of 37,567 families have been finalized to receive the support.

Under the initiative:

  • Each eligible family will receive one modern Family Card with a contactless chip.

  • The card will use QR code (barcode data) and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology.

  • A single card will generally cover five family members.

  • If joint families have more than five members, additional cards may be issued proportionally.

Initially, the program will provide Tk 2,500 monthly cash assistance, with the possibility of food assistance of equivalent value in the future.

During the pilot phase, families will not qualify if any member receives a salary, allowance, grant, or pension from government, autonomous, or state-owned institutions, or if the female head works as a teacher or employee in an MPO-listed institution.

For the pilot implementation until June 2026, the government has allocated Tk 38.07 crore. Of this:

  • Tk 25.15 crore (66.06%) will be used for direct cash assistance, and

  • Tk 12.92 crore (33.94%) will be spent on data collection, online system development, and card production.

Officials say the program aims to strengthen social protection and support vulnerable female-led families across the country.
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