The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-led government on Thursday decided to provide Family Cards to 41 lakh beneficiaries at a cost of around Tk 12,373 crore under the social safety net programme in the next financial year 2026–27.

Officials said that Farmer Cards would also be provided to 42 lakh beneficiaries with a financial allocation of Tk 1,062 crore in FY27.

Family Card holders will receive cash assistance of Tk 2,500 per month, while Farmer Card holders will receive Tk 2,500 once a year.

The decisions were taken at a review meeting on social safety net programmes, presided over by finance and planning minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury at the secretariat in the capital.

The meeting also decided that beneficiaries enjoying the privileges of Family Cards would not qualify for any other benefits under the social safety net programmes.

Both cards have already been launched on an experimental basis in line with the BNP’s electoral pledges. The party won the national elections on February 12.

The meeting also decided to increase the number of old-age allowance beneficiaries by one lakh in FY27. An old-age allowance recipient currently receives Tk 700 a month. The allowance is one of the government’s 95 social safety net programmes.

About Tk 117,000 crore was allocated in the national budget of the current 2025-26 financial year for the programmes, which benefit nearly eight crore people.