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Stage of
Implementation
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Reform Proposed:
This pledge has been articulated in the Bangladesh
Nationalist Party s election manifesto for Bangladesh s 13th national
election.
Reform Initiated:
On 19 February 2026, the Government of
Bangladesh issued a gazette notification forming a 15-member Cabinet
Committee for the Family Card Programme.
Legal, Policy Measures and Finance:
The government formalised the Family Card Programme through the Family
Card Piloting Implementation Guideline, 2026, which provides the
programme s legal‑administrative basis, financing framework,
implementation scope, and governance structure.
Finance: For pilot
implementation up to June 2026, a total allocation of Tk 38.07 crore was
approved. Of this, Tk 25.15 crore is earmarked for direct cash transfers to
beneficiary households. In comparison, Tk 12.92 crore is allocated for
programme implementation costs, including card production, digital systems,
field operations, monitoring, and administrative coordination.
Scope: The guideline establishes
the Family Card as a digitally enabled, household‑level entitlement
mechanism, covering up to five members per household. The pilot targets poor
and vulnerable households, with explicit prioritisation of female‑headed
households, and applies eligibility criteria including a rural landholding
ceiling of 0.50 acres or less, alongside socioeconomic indicators captured
through a Proxy Means Test (PMT).
Phasing: The pilot is designed as a four‑phase
rollout, implemented sequentially from March to June 2026, with 10,000
households per phase, targeting 40,000 households in total. By June 2026,
40,000 families will receive cards under the pilot programme. After piloting,
a total of 2 crore cards will be distributed nationwide. Household
prioritisation is based on PMT scores (0 1000), with priority given to
households falling within the first three quantiles (0 777, 778 796, and
797 814).
Lead Ministry/Agency: The
Ministry of Social Welfare is designated as the lead ministry, responsible
for overall coordination, policy oversight, and implementation management.
Monitoring and Accountability: The guideline establishes a layered monitoring and oversight
framework, anchored by the Central Monitoring and Evaluation Committee (CMEC)
and supported by district and upazila‑level committees. These bodies
are tasked with overseeing targeting accuracy, application of the PMT,
payment delivery, MIS functionality, and compliance with exclusion rules. The
design includes provisions for routine monitoring, periodic reviews, and impact
evaluation.
Grievance Redressal Mechanism: The programme incorporates a formal Grievance Redress
System (GRS), allowing applicants and beneficiaries to submit complaints
related to eligibility, exclusion errors, payment issues, card issuance, or
data inaccuracies. Grievances may be submitted through digital, written, or
local administrative channels and are to be resolved within prescribed
timelines by designated committees.
The guideline mandates a digital Management Information System (MIS)
integrated with the National Household Database and NID verification APIs to
ensure accurate targeting, prevent duplication (double‑dipping), and
enable real‑time monitoring.
Operationalisation:
On 10 March 2026, the Family Card Programme
was formally launched through a pilot in 14 locations across the country. At
the inauguration ceremony, allowance transfers to the accounts of 37,567
women beneficiaries were initiated. During the first phase, each beneficiary
reportedly received a uniform monthly cash transfer of Tk 2,500.
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Observation
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The Family Card Piloting Implementation
Guideline, 2026, outlines four monthly phases of 10,000 households (40,000
total, March June), while news reports indicate 37,567 beneficiaries in
March, without clear phase alignment. The guideline implies PMT-based cash
allocation, whereas reporting suggests that uniform Tk 2,500 was disbursed to
all 37,814 beneficiaries.
No public documentation has been identified
on the total households surveyed, registered, nor on the application of the
PMT system (quantiles, thresholds). Similarly, no public record is available
on verification processes, MIS/NID integration, or enforcement of exclusion
rules, limiting assessment of how the guideline design has been applied in
practice.
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