Govt aims to build integrated, modern system
The government is moving away from fragmented social safety nets to build an integrated, modern, and accountable protection system based on the “One Citizen, One Card” concept.
Adviser to the Prime Minister on Finance and Planning Ministries, Prof. Dr. Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, announced this strategy while speaking as the chief guest at a capital hotel on Thursday.
The policy discussion, titled “How Can the Family Card Expand the Scope of Social Protection Programmes in Bangladesh?”, was jointly organized by the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD).
Addressing the gathering, Dr. Titumir emphasized that social security must evolve alongside emerging economic realities.
Although the tenure of the National Social Security Strategy has formally ended, fresh structural challenges regarding poverty, job insecurity, and economic shocks have emerged.
To tackle these issues effectively, the government is prioritizing a unified national framework over isolated welfare schemes.
Long-standing operational hurdles including limited budget allocations, flawed beneficiary targeting, poor program coordination, and the eroding real value of financial aid must be systematically resolved.
Fixing these systemic weaknesses is essential to guarantee the long-term success of new social initiatives.
Currently, the government is implementing the Family Card program for 41 lakh families with a dedicated allocation of Tk 14,000cr.
The initiative is being treated not as conventional public spending, but as a strategic investment in human capital aimed at boosting domestic purchasing power and driving wider economic activity.
Clarifying the technical execution of the “One Citizen, One Card” vision, Dr. Titumir noted that success depends on secure data interoperability rather than merging separate organizational databases. Agencies handling employment, local government, and revenue will maintain independent systems while exchanging data smoothly whenever required.
To improve selection accuracy, the government is partnering with the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (BBS) to update poverty identification methods. This structural shift will be paired with mandatory, regular verifications at the local level to eliminate exclusion and inclusion errors.
Gradually, various assistance channels such as support for persons with special needs, seasonal disaster relief, employment aid, and unemployment benefits will all be brought under this single social protection umbrella alongside family assistance.
The Adviser called on research institutions, civil society, and policy experts to submit concrete proposals ahead of the upcoming national budget. He concluded that reforming social protection is ultimately a broader social contract, demanding inter-ministerial coordination and public participation to secure transparency and accountability.
The event featured a keynote presentation by BIGD Executive Director Imran Matin and was moderated by IGC Country Economist Aminul Aman. Other key speakers included Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Executive Director Dr. Fahmida Khatun and Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS) Research Director Atonu Rabbani.
