The government has decided to roll out the ‘family card’ scheme on a pilot basis in 14 upazilas across the country on March 10, with prime minister Tarique Rahman set to inaugurate the programme.

Under the initiative, each eligible family would receive Tk 2,500 a month through a family card, with an emphasis on empowering women and strengthening their financial independence, social welfare minister AZM Zahid Hossain told reporters on Tuesday.

The scheme is one of the key electoral pledges of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, aimed at providing social protection to marginalised, poor and low-income households nationwide.

A meeting of the committee formed to implement the programme was held on Tuesday at the Cabinet Division at the secretariat in the capital Dhaka, with the prime minister in the chair.

The meeting finalised preparations for the pilot launch scheduled for March 10 ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr, one of the biggest religious festivals for the Muslims.

Among those present at the meeting were finance minister Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, the prime minister’s adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, state minister for local government Mir Shahe Alam, state minister for social welfare Farzana Sharmin, the PM’s advisers Mahdi Amin and Rehan Asif Asad and cabinet secretary Nasimul Ghani.

According to Zahid, 14 upazilas from different divisions have been selected for the pilot phase. In each of the selected upazilas, one ward under a union will be brought under universal coverage, meaning all eligible families in that ward will receive the card.

The government plans to expand the scheme gradually across the country.

Initially, coverage will begin with one ward, followed by additional wards and unions in phases until all upazilas are brought under the programme.

Zahid said that the benefit would primarily target mothers who head families among the extremely poor, poor and lower-income groups.

He stressed that the scheme would be universal in nature and free from political or religious discrimination.

‘Each eligible family in a ward will receive the benefit. It is not about setting a number; whoever qualifies in that ward will be included,’ he said.

On the selection process, the minister said that information would be collected through a door-to-door approach.

‘There will be no desk-based selection. Data will be gathered from the field, and no one will be excluded unfairly,’ he said.

He also clarified that there would be no involvement of intelligence agencies or party activists in the implementation.

Government officials will oversee the process at every level — upazila, union and ward — under the leadership of the respective upazila nirbahi officers.

A two-tier checking and rechecking mechanism will be put in place to minimise errors, with a Class I officer assigned to supervise each ward.

Zahid said that funding for the remaining months of the current financial year would come from block allocations under the finance ministry, while from the next financial year the scheme would be incorporated into the national budget.

Earlier, at 10:30am on the day, the prime minister chaired a separate meeting on the New Mooring Container Terminal, attended by ministers and officials concerned.