Finance and Planning Adviser Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir on Thursday called for a paradigm shift towards a universal social security system, saying Bangladesh needs a stronger and more accountable framework to address poverty, exclusion and fiscal challenges through reforms to the government's Family Card Programme.

Titumir made the remarks as chief guest at a high-level roundtable on the future of social protection, jointly organised by the International Growth Centre (IGC) and the BRAC Institute of Governance and Development (BIGD) at a city hotel in Shahbag.

PM orders transparent implementation of Family Card programme nationwide

The discussion focused on how the government's flagship Family Card Programme can be strengthened to build a more effective and inclusive social protection system, amid plans to raise social protection spending to around 3 percent of GDP by 2030 and eventually expand the programme to as many as 20 million families.

"What we want to achieve is a paradigm shift to a universal social security system," Titumir said, urging think tanks and development partners to work closely with the government in designing an accountable and sustainable system.

He said Bangladesh now has more poor people than when the national poverty strategy was formulated and acknowledged persistent challenges, including inadequate budget allocations, exclusion and inclusion errors, fragmented institutions and fiscal stress.

Titumir said the country must build an institutional process capable of reaching all eligible households while ensuring citizens remain at the centre of accountability. "Political economy questions cannot be addressed by manufacturing consent, but rather by engaging citizens through a vibrant, deliberative process."

State Minister for Planning Zonayed Abdur Rahim Saki, attending as guest of honour, said institutional reform and depoliticisation would take time but reaffirmed the government's commitment to strengthening institutional capacity and improving governance.

In the keynote presentation, BIGD Executive Director Imran Matin described the Family Card Programme as Bangladesh's first poverty-targeted social safety net initiative and said the opportunity should be used to create a more robust and efficient social protection platform.

He also stressed the need for clarity on whether the programme is intended as a poverty graduation initiative, a shock-responsive safety net, or a mechanism to reduce the exclusion of poor households.

Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Dialogue (CPD) Fahmida Khatun said implementation remains as important as policy design, noting that the increased monthly benefit of Tk 2,500 could significantly improve support for beneficiaries if delivered efficiently.

She also questioned whether the allocation should remain fixed in the face of persistent inflation.

Executive Director of SANEM Selim Raihan stressed the need for cross-party political ownership so that social protection programmes continue regardless of changes in government.

Meanwhile, Robin Burgess, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and co-founder of IGC, highlighted the importance of evidence-based policymaking, citing the global success of BRAC's Ultra Poor Graduation Programme.

IGC Bangladesh Country Manager Shahid Vaziralli, joining virtually, shared international experiences from countries including Brazil and Indonesia, emphasising the importance of strong delivery systems, credible targeting, institutional coordination and digital governance.