Only 20% of eligible indigenous people enlisted in social safety nets: TIB
In the old-age allowance, 52.1% of eligible Indigenous persons applied but only 21.2% were selected, says the TIB report
Only 19.7% of eligible Indigenous people are enrolled in five major social safety net programmes in Bangladesh, meaning just one in every five qualified beneficiaries receives support.
The findings were revealed in a study released by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) at a press conference held today (2 December) at the organisation's Dhaka office.
The report, "Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Social Safety Net Programmes: Governance Challenges and Ways Forward," outlines stark disparities in access to social protection, despite Indigenous communities experiencing significantly higher poverty rates than the national average.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
According to TIB, application and selection rates remain low across all five programmes. In the old-age allowance, 52.1% of eligible Indigenous persons applied but only 21.2% were selected. For the widow and abandoned women allowance, 33.3% applied while just 12% were chosen. In disability allowance/subsidy, 57.5% applied and 31.6% were selected. Under the mother-and-child benefit, 30.5% applied and 21.5% were selected. For the VWB card, applications stood at 25.1%, with only 12.4% approved.
TIB stated that despite being among the poorest and most marginalised groups in the country, Indigenous people are not prioritised within the social protection system. Gaps in laws and policies, complex application and documentation requirements, exclusion from policymaking and budgeting, limited access to information, language barriers, and reluctance to engage with complaint mechanisms all contribute to their low inclusion.
The study found that Indigenous communities in the plains face major barriers such as limited outreach, weak political representation, and poor educational and digital capacity. In the hill regions, challenges include the absence of dedicated programmes, geographic isolation, language constraints, limited access to information, and insufficient institutional capacity among implementing agencies.
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said that reducing disparities is fundamental to ensuring justice and establishing peace. "The findings clearly show that justice has not been achieved. As a result, instability and dissatisfaction persist," he said.
He added that the study highlights alarming issues – ranging from lack of transparency and accountability to weak governance, corruption, irregularities, and bribery – that are seen across communities but are especially pronounced for Indigenous peoples, who remain "marginalised among the marginalised."
