Rangpur, Sep 29 (V7N)- State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has said the government plans to provide Family Cards to the female heads of 40 million families across Bangladesh within the next four years.
He said the Family Card programme would be universal and that no one would need to lobby or seek political influence to receive the card.
The state minister made the remarks on Tuesday morning after visiting the grave of Abu Sayeed and meeting his family members in Pirganj, Rangpur.
According to Shahe Alam, the Family Card is part of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s “I Have a Plan” programme. He said female heads of families across different income groups, including extremely poor, lower-income, middle-income and higher-income households, would be brought under the programme in phases.
He said even the wives of senior government officials and public representatives would receive Family Cards under the universal programme. He cited the wives of the president and prime minister as examples, stressing that no family would be excluded.
Shahe Alam also discussed the government’s Farmer Card programme, saying it would similarly be implemented on a universal basis. He said field-level registration of farmers is already underway and that the government plans to provide Farmer Cards to around 21 million farmers within four years.
He said farmers with large holdings would also be included in the programme and would be eligible for government facilities through the Farmer Card.
On fertilizer supplies, Shahe Alam alleged that an artificial crisis had been created in several districts to discredit the government. He named Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur, Chapainawabganj, Kushtia, Bagerhat, Satkhira, Meherpur and Narail.
He alleged that political activists were creating disruptions and portraying the situation as a fertilizer shortage. Government officials have separately said national fertilizer stocks are adequate, while reports have pointed to distribution and dealer-network problems in some areas.
Shahe Alam also criticised Jamaat-e-Islami over what he described as a lack of commitments concerning financial support for imams, muezzins and mosque staff. He said the government was considering support for religious workers as part of its broader social programmes.
The state minister reiterated that the Family Card and Farmer Card initiatives were intended to provide government support without political lobbying or discrimination.
END/SMA/AJ
