Tk1.44 lakh cr proposed for social safety net

Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury has proposed an allocation of Tk 1 lakh 44 thousand 338 crore for the social safety net sector in the fiscal year 2026-27 (FY27).

In the revised budget for the fiscal year 2025-26, the allocation was Tk 1 lakh 26 thousand 731 crore, he said.

Placing the national budget for DFY 27 in Jatiya Sangsad on Thursday, the minister said the existing social protection system in the country is neither sufficiently responsive to contemporary needs nor sustainable in the long term.

“Accordingly, our government is committed to establishing a humane, equitable, and a social protection framework founded on dignity under which the state will play a responsible role in safeguarding the lives and livelihoods of all citizens,” he said.

In this regard, Khosru said, programmes will be implemented following a life-cycle approach, ensuring that every stage of a citizen’s life from birth onwards is brought within the ambit of the social protection system.

“Guided by the core philosophy of our government’s social protection framework ‘Economic empowerment and self-reliance’, we are committed to ensuring the economic freedom and empowerment of every citizen,” he said.

He said the signature programme of the government for ensuring social protection is the ‘Family Card Programme’ and its core philosophy is rooted in the principle that “The family, not the individual, is the fundamental unit of development”.

He proposed allocation of Taka 14,500 crore in the national budget to distribute Family Cards to 4.1 million women in the FY 27.

Khosu proposed increasing the number of beneficiaries under the Old Age Allowance programme by 100,000, raising the total to 6.2 million, while enhancing the monthly allowance by Taka 50 to Taka 700.
The number of beneficiaries under the Widow and Destitute Women allowance programme will be increased by 100,000 to reach 3 million, with the monthly allowance raised from Taka 650 to Taka 700, he said.

The finance minister proposed increasing the number of beneficiaries under the Disability Allowance Programme from 3.45 million to 3.8 million and to raise the monthly allowance from Taka 900 to Taka 1,000.

Furthermore, the number of students receiving educational stipends under the Disability Education Stipend Programme will be increased from 81,000 to 100,000, he said.

The monthly stipend rates will also be enhanced by Taka 100-150, bringing them to Taka 1,000 at the primary level, Taka 1,100 at the secondary level, Taka 1,200 at the higher secondary level, and Taka 1,400 at the tertiary level, the minister said.

To protect pregnant mothers and newborn children, allowances are being provided at a monthly rate of Taka 850 through the mother and Child Assistance Programme, Khosru said.

In the next fiscal year, he proposed to increase the number of beneficiaries by 1,24,000, bringing the total number of beneficiaries to 18,95,200.

He also proposed an allocation of Taka 1,944.70 crore in the next fiscal year for this purpose.
In addition, the government has expanded the assistance programme for patients suffering from cancer and five other chronic and life-threatening diseases, increasing the number of beneficiaries to 65,000.

The finance minister also proposed to raise the amount of one-time financial assistance from Taka 50,000 to Taka 100,000.

He also proposed that citizens aged 65 years and above be granted full exemption from fares when traveling on government-owned public transport, specifically trains, and a 25 percent reduction in fares when traveling on the metro rail.

“To modernise and sustain the social protection system, our government will expand coverage across various social security programs, increase allowance rates in line with inflation, and establish good governance from beneficiary selection to allowance distribution,” said the finance minister.

He said the government will take initiatives to make the universal pension scheme more attractive by improving the management of the Pension Fund and allowing 30 percent of the total amount to be provided as a one-time gratuity.

According to the budget document, the government will establish a state-funded welfare programme for destitute orphan children and address the weaknesses of the Parents’ Maintenance Act, 2013 to ensure its effective implementation.

The government remains steadfast in its commitment to preserving the history and legacy of the Great Liberation War and ensuring the welfare of our valiant freedom fighters.

He proposed to maintain the monthly honorarium for general freedom fighters at Taka 20,000. Concurrently, he proposed to increase the monthly allowances for the families of titled Freedom Fighters, specifically Bir Shreshtha, Bir Uttam, Bir Bikram, and Bir Protik by Taka 5,000 across all categories, restructuring them to Taka 40,000, Taka 30,000, Taka 25,000, and Taka 25,000 respectively.
In addition, festival allowances, Bangla New Year allowances, medical services, and funeral grants will continue to be provided.

A consolidated list of freedom fighters has been prepared through the MIS system, and allowances are being disbursed directly to their bank accounts via the G2P payment system.

The state honoraria for war-wounded, titled, and martyred Freedom Fighters’ families are being seamlessly disbursed through the Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) mechanism.

Furthermore, the Bangladesh Rural Development Board is extending loan facilities to support the socio-economic advancement of freedom fighters. To ensure housing for freedom fighters, the government has undertaken an initiative to construct 4,730 Bir Nibas residences in the fiscal year 2026-27.

Families of martyrs of the July Uprising are currently receiving a monthly allowance of Taka 20,000, while injured individuals in categories A, B, and C are receiving monthly allowances of Taka 20,000, Taka 15,000, and Taka 10,000 respectively.

The finance minister proposed continuing these allocations in the forthcoming budget, while increasing the number of beneficiaries by 1,857 to a total of 16,513.

Additionally, as part of the ongoing project, housing support programme for the families of those who lost their lives during the July Mass Uprising and for the families of July fighters who have suffered permanent loss of earning capacity, I propose an allocation of Taka 300 crore in the next fiscal year.
To enhance transparency and accountability within social protection programs, Finance Division has introduced the Single Registry System.

Through this mechanism, funds are transferred directly to beneficiaries’ mobile or bank accounts. The system currently stores information on approximately 40 million beneficiaries, with the capacity to verify an additional 20 million citizens.

This has significantly enhanced transparency in beneficiary selection, ensured verification of accounts, and eliminated duplication in the provision of benefits.

In parallel, the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Social Welfare are implementing the Dynamic Social Registry (DSR), which will allow citizens to apply directly for social protection benefits from any location.

It will also facilitate scientific assessment of poverty levels, thereby ensuring accurate identification and selection of eligible beneficiaries through a data-driven approach, said the budget document.