After ‘Family Card’, ‘Farmer Card’ next on govt agenda
Standing before a large crowd near the bustling Karail slum in Dhaka on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman spoke of a new promise his government hopes to deliver soon – one aimed directly at the country’s farmers.
The government expects to introduce a “Farmer Card” programme as early as next month, a move the prime minister says will support farmers and fulfil another pledge made during the election campaign.
“We have already started the work on the Farmer Card. InshaAllah, just as we handed over family cards to thousands of women, within the next month we will be able to distribute Farmer Cards to many farmer brothers,” Tarique Rahman said.
He made the announcement while inaugurating the government’s Family Card programme, organised by the Ministry of Social Welfare at the T&T playground in Banani, beside the densely populated Karail settlement.
A promise to farmers
The proposed Farmer Card initiative is expected to be part of the government’s broader plan to strengthen support for the country’s agricultural sector.
During the programme, the prime minister reminded the audience that before the general election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) had pledged to begin distributing family cards among women if it came to power.
According to him, the government began implementing that promise less than a month after forming the government.
Tarique Rahman also highlighted another commitment made to farmers—waiving agricultural loans of up to Tk 10,000, including interest.
“Last week we announced the waiver of agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000, including interest,” he said, adding that the government intends to gradually fulfil all the promises made to the people.
“We will change the fate of people step by step by implementing these pledges,” he added.
Launch of Family Card programme
Earlier in the event, the prime minister formally launched the government’s Family Card programme, a major social initiative aimed at empowering women and expanding financial support for vulnerable families.
At the ceremony, Tarique Rahman personally handed over family cards to 17 women, symbolising the start of the programme.
He later transferred financial support linked to the cards to the bank accounts of 37,567 women across 14 locations in different districts, activating the payments by pressing a button on a laptop during the event.
Before taking his seat on the stage, the prime minister made an unexpected walk into the audience, greeting people and exchanging pleasantries with attendees.
The event was attended by several senior government officials and dignitaries, including Dr Zubaida Rahman, spouse of the prime minister; Social Welfare Minister Abu Zafar Md Zahid Hossain; State Minister for Social Welfare Farzana Sharmin; Social Welfare Secretary Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf; and Dhaka North City Corporation administrator Shafiqul Islam Khan.
If implemented as planned, the upcoming Farmer Card programme could become the government’s next major social support initiative – extending financial assistance and policy benefits from urban households to the millions of farmers who form the backbone of Bangladesh’s rural economy.