Family Cards to Launch Before Eid: Initial Beneficiaries Identified

The new government is set to launch the 'Family Card' program ahead of the upcoming Eid-ul-Fitr. Initially, the program will be introduced as a pilot project in eight upazilas across the country's eight divisions.

A 15-member cabinet committee, chaired by the Finance Minister, has been formed to oversee the operations.

The Cabinet Division issued a notification regarding the formation of this committee on Thursday (February 19).

Committee Composition
According to the notification, the committee includes:

Chair: Finance Minister

Members: Minister and State Minister for Women and Children Affairs, and the Social Welfare Minister.

Additional Members: State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives; Advisors Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir and Mahdi Amin; the Cabinet Secretary; and Secretaries from seven relevant ministries.

Scope of Work
The primary responsibility of the committee is to design an effective framework for the Family Card and establish a method for selecting beneficiaries. During the pilot phase, one upazila from each of the eight divisions will be selected for the card's introduction.

Key objectives of the committee include:

Feasibility Study: Evaluating whether existing women's welfare programs can serve as a foundation for this card.

Digital Integration: Recommending a digital Management Information System (MIS) by linking National ID (NID) data with the National Household Database to create an accurate beneficiary list.

Timeline
The government aims to distribute the Family Cards before Eid-ul-Fitr. To meet this deadline, the committee has been instructed to submit a preliminary report by February 24.

The Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will provide secretarial support to the committee, which will meet as needed and holds the authority to co-opt new members if required.