Govt to launch family card pilot scheme on 10 March; Tk2,500 monthly for selected families
6,500 families will receive the card initially
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will formally inaugurate the distribution of the Family Card on 10 March under a pilot initiative. On the same day, beneficiaries will receive Tk2,500 in cash assistance for the first month directly into their mobile wallets or bank accounts.
In the initial phase, 6,500 families across 13 wards nationwide will receive QR code-enabled digital smart Family Cards.
The government has already allocated approximately Tk2.11 crore to cover the first month's cash transfers and pilot implementation costs. The number of beneficiaries will be gradually expanded to 2 crore families in subsequent phases.
The social welfare ministry has prepared a draft of the Family Card Piloting Implementation Guidelines 2026, which outlines the programme details.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
According to the draft guidelines, the government aims to raise the country's social protection budget to 3% of GDP by 2028. By 2030, the Family Card is expected to be transformed into a universal social identity card for every citizen of Bangladesh.
Social Welfare Minister AZM Zahid Hossain confirmed that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the programme on 10 March.
He disclosed the information to reporters at the Secretariat today (24 February) following a meeting of the high-level Cabinet Committee chaired by the prime minister.
He said the final decision was taken at the meeting, while the PM approved the pilot programme based on recommendations made by a subcommittee led by the finance minister.
"The prime minister will formally launch the programme ahead of the Holy Eid-ul-Fitr. Initially, 14 upazilas -- selected from different divisions -- have been chosen for the pilot phase. In each upazila, the card will be distributed on a universal basis in one ward of a selected union," the minister said and BSS reported.
He emphasised that no discrimination or partisan favouritism will be allowed in the distribution process.
Pilot areas
The first 13 locations selected for Family Card distribution are: Korail slum area in Dhaka, Ward 4 or 5 of Pangsha upazila in Rajbari, Ward 4 of Patiya upazila in Chattogram, Ward 1 or 2 of Bancharampur upazila in Brahmanbaria, Ward 2 or 3 of Lama upazila in Bandarban, Ward 10 of Khalishpur upazila in Khulna, Ward 1 or 4 of Char Fasson upazila in Bhola, Ward 5 or 6 of Dirai upazila in Sunamganj, Ward 2 or 8 of Bhairab upazila in Kishoreganj, Ward 1 of Lalpur upazila in Natore, Ward 1 or 2 of Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, and Ward 1 of Nawabganj upazila in Dinajpur.
Eligibility criteria
Under the draft policy, poor and extremely poor households will be identified based on monthly income, assets, and land ownership.
In rural areas, families owning 0.50 acres or less of homestead and cultivable land will qualify.
To promote women's empowerment, the card will be issued directly in the name of the mother or female head of the household.
However, families will be excluded if any member is a regular government employee or pensioner, owns a commercial licence or large business, or possesses a car or air conditioner. Priority will be given to landless and homeless families, persons with disabilities, and marginalised communities, including the hijra community, Bede community and ethnic minorities.
Integrated benefits
Under the pilot project, each selected family will receive Tk2,500 in direct monthly cash assistance. Funds will be transferred from the government treasury directly to beneficiaries' mobile wallets or bank accounts through the Government-to-Person (G2P) system.
The existing TCB card database will be integrated into the Family Card's Dynamic Social Registry (DSR).
Using the same smart card and OTP verification, beneficiaries will be able to access subsidised food assistance and, in the future, additional benefits such as education stipends and agricultural subsidies.
To ensure transparent beneficiary selection during the pilot phase, committees headed by government officials have been formed at the upazila, city, union, municipality and ward levels.
Public awareness campaigns, including microphone announcements and local digital outreach, will be conducted to inform eligible households
