Tk800 monthly allowance for poor pregnant women not acceptable: Social welfare adviser

The Department of Women Affairs provides a monthly allowance of Tk800 for 36 months to support the health and nutrition needs of rural poor pregnant women. However, amid rising inflation, giving such a small amount is an insult to their poverty, said Social Welfare Adviser Sharmeen S Murshid.

She also questioned the effectiveness of fortified rice in addressing nutritional deficiencies, noting that there is no research on the issue.

She made these remarks at a roundtable titled "Making Social Security Programmes of Bangladesh More Nutrition Sensitive", organised by Nutrition International Bangladesh in collaboration with The Business Standard at Hotel Amari in Gulshan.

The discussion was moderated by Asfia Azim, deputy country director, Bangladesh, Nutrition International.

Sharmeen Murshid said, "A woman told me, 'Don't give me some rice or money – give me training instead.' That is a million-dollar statement. In today's Bangladesh, with this inflation, what can Tk800 do? It keeps her trapped in the cycle of poverty. I am against this. Our budget is in the thousands of crores, with a massive allocation for fortified rice."

The adviser also noted that while Bangladesh has made progress in poverty reduction, it still lags in nutrition, even though poverty and nutrition are closely linked. "The rate at which poverty has declined has not been matched by improvements in nutrition. Nutrition is a long-term issue; it is a behaviour, an eating pattern – we need research."

She further said, "According to Unicef data, 46 out of every 100 beneficiaries are the wrong recipients. This means that the rice or food is not reaching the intended people. Our targeting strategy is flawed, and ministries must take responsibility for this.

"The system needs to be reviewed, a new list should be created, and a database should be digitally uploaded to ensure that the benefits reach those who truly deserve them."

Keya Khan, director general of the Department of Women Affairs, said, "Under our nutrition programme, we are distributing fortified rice in 170 upazilas, reaching 466,000 beneficiaries. However, we do not know its actual impact."

She added, "We distribute fortified rice for one month, but then there is a gap of three to four months because the Directorate General of Food delays the tender process. Without regular distribution, we cannot conduct a proper impact analysis."

She further said, "Our mothers need training – not just financial support but guidance on how to feed their children properly. However, we face a shortage of allowances for such training programmes."

At the roundtable, speakers emphasised that as Bangladesh shifts toward urbanisation, more focus should be placed on urban nutrition. They stressed that cash and food support alone will not be enough – behavioural change must also be prioritised. They also highlighted a coordination gap in integrating nutrition into social protection programmes, which needs to be addressed.

In a presentation, Iftia Jerin, national programme manager at Nutrition International, stated that most nutrition programmes are primarily rural-focused, and more initiatives should be designed with an urban focus. She emphasised the importance of nutrition vulnerability mapping and recommended that beneficiary selection should not rely solely on self-nomination but involve multiple channels. She also called for measures to reduce duplication in nutrition programmes.

Saiqa Siraj, country director of Nutrition International, said that in 2024, Nutrition International's Adopting a Multisectoral Approach for Nutrition (AMAN) project in Cox's Bazar, supported by Global Affairs Canada, conducted an assessment to identify gaps in implementation and recommend opportunities to incorporate nutrition and gender-responsive actions into existing social security programmes in the district.

Mayessha Begum, a participant in the AMAN Project from Moheshkhali, Cox's Bazar, said that for two years, she received 30 kg of fortified rice every month. The money she would have spent on rice could instead be used for other expenses. They were also taught through videos how to cook the rice and prepare vegetables properly. However, she has not received any rice since last month, forcing her to stop sending her eldest daughter to school.

Surabhi Mittal, deputy director of Health Economics and Economist for Asia at Nutrition International, presented a paper on global nutrition trends.

Md Khaled Hasan, Additional Secretary of the Cabinet Division; Dr Md Akhter Imam, Deputy Director of the Bangladesh National Nutrition Council (BNNC); Zia UL Karim, Senior Coordinator at Manusher Jonno Foundation; Wameq A Raja, Senior Health Specialist at The World Bank; Mohammad Mahbubur Rahman, Director General (In-Charge) of BNNC; and Mohammad Mamunur Rashid, Social Protection Specialist at WFP, were among those who spoke at the event.

Sajjadur Rahman, Deputy Editor of The Business Standard, delivered the welcome address.

Most speakers emphasised that the government should identify the target group for social protection benefits to minimise inclusion errors, enhance inter-ministerial coordination, empower women, and conduct impact assessments of the programmes.