20pc of eligible ethnic people covered in safety nets: TIB

Staff Reporter :

Only 19.7percent of eligible ethnic people in Bangladesh are enrolled in five key social safety net programmes meaning just one in five qualified individuals actually receives government support.
The findings were presented in a new study by Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), unveiled on Thursday at a press conference at the organisation’s Dhaka office.

The report, “Inclusion of Indigenous Peoples in Social Safety Net Programmes: Governance Challenges and Ways Forward,” highlights the deep inequities in access to social protection, despite Indigenous communities experiencing significantly higher poverty rates than the national average.

TIB data shows low application and even lower selection rates across all five schemes. Under the old-age allowance, 52.1percent of eligible Indigenous applicants applied but only 21.2percent were selected.

For the widow and abandoned women allowance, 33.3percent applied while just 12percent secured approval. In the disability allowance/subsidy programme, 57.5percent applied, yet only 31.6percent were chosen.

For the mother-and-child benefit, 30.5percent applied but just 21.5percent were approved. The VWB card saw 25.1percent apply, with only 12.4percent selected.

Despite being among the nation’s poorest and most marginalised populations, Indigenous communities are still not prioritised within the social protection system, TIB noted.

Barriers include gaps in laws and policies, complex application processes, extensive documentation requirements, exclusion from decision-making spaces, limited access to information, language obstacles, and hesitancy to use complaint mechanisms.

The study also identifies stark differences between plains and hill regions. Plains Indigenous groups face limited outreach, weak political representation, and low educational and digital capacity. Communities in the hill areas face additional challenges such as lack of tailored programmes, geographic isolation, language limitations, scarce information access, and inadequate institutional capacity among implementing agencies.

TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said reducing disparities is essential for justice and peace.

“The findings clearly show that justice has not been ensured. As a result, dissatisfaction and instability continue,” he said.

He added that the study exposes serious concerns including weak governance, lack of transparency and accountability, corruption, irregularities, and bribery affecting many communities but hitting Indigenous peoples hardest, leaving them “marginalised among the marginalised.”