The government will initially introduce the ‘Family Card’ programme in 14 upazilas on March 10 to support marginal and low-income families.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman will inaugurate the programme, said his Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon.

Under the initiative, he said, each cardholder family will receive Tk 2,500 to help empower women and make them financially self-reliant.

Rumon said a meeting of the committee formed to implement the government’s election pledge of launching the Family Card was held on Tuesday at 12:00pm at the Cabinet Division of the Secretariat, with the Prime Minister in the chair.

Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain, Prime Minister’s Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam, State Minister for Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Farzana Sharmin, Prime Minister’s Advisers Mahdi Amin and Rehan Asif Asad, Cabinet Secretary Nasimul Ghani, Press Secretary Saleh Shibly and Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Rumon were, among others, present at the meeting.

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had a busy schedule at the Secretariat.

He entered the Cabinet Division around 10:00am.

As per the day’s programme, a meeting on the New Mooring Container Terminal was held at 10:30am.

The meeting, chaired by the Prime Minister, was attended by Finance and Planning Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury, Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Md Asaduzzaman, Shipping Minister Shaikh Robiul Alam and Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Ashik Chowdhury.