PM to launch ‘Farmer Card’ on Pahela Baishakh across 11 upazilas
Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the “Farmer Card” initiative on Pahela Baishakh in a pre-pilot phase across 11 blocks in 11 upazilas of 10 districts in eight divisions.
In the initial phase, 22,065 farmers—including fish farmers and fish catchers, livestock farmers, dairy farmers, as well as landless, marginal, small, medium, and large-scale farmers—have been included. Salt producers are also part of the initiative.
The programme will be formally launched at Shaheed Maruf Stadium in Tangail.
These details were shared on Sunday (April 12) at a press briefing held at the Information Department’s conference room in the Secretariat by Agriculture, Fisheries and Livestock Minister Mohammad Amin ur Rashid.
He said that in the pre-pilot phase, the programme will be launched in the following areas: Komlapur block of Sadar upazila in Panchagarh district; Uthli block of Shibganj upazila in Bogura district; Kripalpur block of Shailkupa upazila in Jhenaidah district; Rajabari block of Nesarabad upazila in Pirojpur district; Rajarchhara block of Teknaf upazila in Cox’s Bazar district; Aranapur block of Adarsha Sadar upazila in Cumilla district; Suruj block of Tangail Sadar upazila in Tangail district; Tenapachha block of Goalanda upazila in Rajbari district; Phultala block of Juri upazila in Moulvibazar district; Panchpir block of Boda upazila in Panchagarh district; and Gaibandha block of Islampur upazila in Jamalpur district.
Modeled after the TCB family card, the initiative aims to ensure 10 types of support for marginal and small farmers across the country.
The programme will be implemented in three phases, covering landless, marginal, small, medium, and large farmers. Gradually, nearly all of the country’s approximately 22.7 million farmers will be brought under the system. Once the pre-pilot and pilot phases are successfully completed, a nationwide digital agricultural service system will be introduced within four years through this card.
The card will serve as a digital identity for farmers, similar to a family card. It will also provide an annual benefit of Tk 2,500 to cardholders.