Social protection vital to curb inequality

Special Correspondent :

Terming social protection a vital tool for reducing inequality, experts have urged the government to increase allocations for the sector in the national budget.

Speaking at a discussion titled “Social Protection Programmes and the National Budget in Addressing Inequality”, held at the National Press Club on Thursday, they criticized the proposed budget for FY2025-26 as insufficient and poorly targeted.

The event was organized by Right to Food Bangladesh, bringing together economists, social development experts, and government officials.

Although the proposed budget shows a slight increase in the number of beneficiaries and allowance categories, experts pointed out that the overall allocation for social protection has declined, amounting to just 1.87% of GDP.

They also expressed concern that irrelevant sectors, such as pension schemes and agricultural subsidies, have been included under social protection, diluting its impact on the truly vulnerable population.

The speakers called for dedicated programmes for the urban poor, greater transparency in beneficiary selection, and indexing allowances to inflation to maintain real value. “Social protection is not just about disbursing allowances – good governance and political will are essential to make the system effective and truly reduce inequality,” said Professor MM Akash during the session.

Mohsin Ali, Executive Director of Wave Foundation, chaired the event, while Saidur Rahman Khan, Director General of the Department of Social Services, attended as the chief guest.

Other speakers included Dr Selim Raihan, and SM Zulfiqar Ali, a researcher at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

Experts concluded that for social protection to serve as a genuine instrument of inclusive development, it must be backed by adequate funding, transparent implementation, and strong political commitment.