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. How would the programme be designed? Would it be universal or targeted? What would it cost — and what would it replace? How would it be financed? And what happens to existing safety-net programmes if the Family Card is introduced?
This series examines each of these questions in turn. The goal is not to praise or condemn the Family Card, but to bring an evidence-based perspective to a policy that could reshape social protection in Bangladesh for a generation.
The series draws on international evidence, fiscal arithmetic, and lessons from social protection reform around the world. It is written for policymakers, researchers, journalists, and citizens who care about getting the design right.
Read each part in sequence, or jump to the one that matters most to you. The path forward begins with the first, most fundamental question: should the Family Card be universal, or targeted?