In the recent national election, the
government pledged to introduce a “Family Card” that would provide Tk 2,500 per
month to households across Bangladesh. The promise resonated widely — a
recognition that for millions of families, economic uncertainty remains a daily
reality despite decades of development progress.
But when a campaign commitment moves toward
implementation, ambition must meet structure.
The proposed Family Card program could become
one of the largest social policy initiatives in Bangladesh’s history. At the
scale currently discussed — Tk 2,500 per month for around four crore households
— it would involve fiscal commitments equivalent to nearly 2 percent of GDP.
Decisions of this magnitude do not merely expand social protection; they
reshape the structure of public finance for decades.
Public discussion has been energetic, but
often imprecise. Is the program universal or targeted? If it is universal, why
are we hearing about ultra-poor and other categories?
How will eligibility be determined? How will it be financed? Will it
consolidate existing safety nets or add another layer? What does long-term
sustainability mean in a country with limited fiscal space?
In the coming days, I examine these questions
through an economic and institutional lens.
Drawing on research in social protection,
public finance, and international experience, the aim is not to advocate for or
against the Family Card. It is to clarify the design choices, fiscal
arithmetic, administrative realities, and long-term trade-offs involved.
Each part builds on the previous one — moving
from core design decisions to targeting mechanisms, fiscal sustainability,
institutional capacity, and the broader architecture of social protection
reform.
Policies of this scale require careful
reasoning and transparent debate. This contribution is intended to support an
informed conversation — one that looks beyond slogans to the structural
questions that will ultimately determine whether the Family Card strengthens
Bangladesh’s social contract or strains its fiscal foundations.