The government will launch a pilot e-Health Card programme within its first 180 days in office in five districts, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman told Parliament on Thursday.
Replying to a starred question from BNP lawmaker Shamsur Rahman Simul Biswas (Pabna-5) during the question-answer session in the Jatiya Sangsad, the Prime Minister said the initiative is part of the government’s 180-day priority action plan.
He said a project in this regard is currently awaiting approval.
Every citizen to get e-health cards by 2028: Health Minister
“Under the project, healthcare services through e-Health Cards will be introduced within 180 days in five districts – Khulna, Noakhali, Bogura, Sirajganj and Narsingdi,” Tarique Rahman said.
He said the e-Health Card system will be linked with an electronic patient referral system and an electronic patient management system to ensure more efficient, integrated and digital healthcare services.
The Prime Minister also outlined a series of ongoing programmes under the government’s 180-day development agenda aimed at improving public services and expanding social protection.
Under the “Family Card” programme, he said, monthly financial support of Tk 2,500 is being provided for female-headed families each. So far, 60,044 families in 36 units have received assistance in the pilot phase.
In agriculture, Tarique Rahman said the government has introduced a “Farmers’ Card” programme and launched interest relief measures. “Around Tk 1,567.96 crore has been allocated for the sector, benefiting about 13.17 lakh farmers.”
He said religious institutions are also being supported, with monthly allowances being provided for staff in 4,908 mosques, 990 temples, 144 pagodas and 396 churches.
The Prime Minister said canal excavation and re-excavation works are ongoing under a coordinated programme involving four ministries. “A total of 666 projects covering 965.04 kilometres of canals are currently underway.”
He also said the government plans to plant 25 crore trees over five years, with about 3.14 crore saplings to be planted in the upcoming monsoon season.
In education, Tarique Rahman said free school uniforms will be provided for 2 lakh primary school students in the next fiscal year, while “One Teacher, One Tab” initiatives are being gradually introduced.
“Technical institutions and madrasahs will also be brought under free Wi-Fi coverage, covering 2,336 technical institutions and 8,232 madrasahs under a phased programme,” he said.
On foreign education support, the Prime Minister said the ceiling for collateral-free loans under the language student visa scheme has been raised from Tk 3 lakh to Tk 10 lakh.
He also said a committee has been formed to facilitate the launch of PayPal operations in Bangladesh.
In the power sector, Tarique Rahman said the government aims to generate 20 percent of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, with rooftop solar projects already contributing 35MW to the national grid.
He said they have also launched the “Notun Kuri Sports-2026” programme to identify youth talent in eight sports disciplines, including football, cricket, kabaddi, athletics, badminton, chess, swimming and martial arts.
The Prime Minister said the government has decided to recruit 5 lakh government employees, with 2,879 vacancies currently under recruitment in the public administration sector.
Emphasising balanced development, he said the government is working to ensure equal cooperation for both ruling and opposition lawmakers in carrying out development activities in their constituencies.
Tarique Rahman also highlighted various ongoing reform initiatives aimed at improving transparency, efficiency and accountability in public administration.