United News of Bangladesh

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Wednesday expressed firm determination to implement his party’s electoral manifesto as the present government has already started keeping the commitments made before the people. “I would like say clearly that InshaAllah, we will continue to try our best to fulfill the promise we made to the people of Bangladesh,” he said, while replying to a supplementary question from treasury bench lawmaker ABM Mosharrof Hossain (Patuakhali-4) during the question-and-answer session in Parliament. The Prime Minister said the current government has begun the initial work of implementing the promises. “We’re determined to fulfill the promises we made before the people,” he said, adding that the government would implement its all programmes in phases.   Replying to a starred question from the same lawmaker, Tarique Rahman said the family card programme was launched on March 10, 2026 and in the initial phase, allowances have been provided to 37,817 female-headed households. In the remaining three months of the current fiscal year of 2025-2026, more 30,000 families will be brought under the programme, he added. “We’ll bring four crore families under the family card programme in phases throughout the country in the next four years,” said the Prime Minister. In reply to a starred question from ruling party lawmaker Tahsina Rushdi (Sylhet-2), the prime minister said all ministries and divisions are taking necessary initiatives to formulate action plans for the next 180 days, the next fiscal year and the next 5 years to implement the commitments announced in the government's election manifesto. “Significant progress has already been achieved in the implementation of some important activities announced in the election manifesto,” he said. To protect marginalized and low-income families, the initial phase of providing 'family cards' to 37,814 female-headed families in 15 wards of 13 districts has begun, he added. Tarique Rahman said the government has taken the initiative to provide farmers with comprehensive protection. In the initial stage, piloting will be done in 11 blocks of 11 upazilas of 10 districts of 08 divisions through the Department of Agricultural Extension, he said. Besides, in order to implement the election promise, the government has already waived agricultural loans up to Tk 10,000 in the crops, animal husbandry and fisheries sectors, he added. He said the honorarium was sent to the bank accounts of a total of 9,102 beneficiaries, including 3,295 Imams, 2,975 Muazzins, 2,604 Khadems, 114 Hindu temple priests and 83 servicemen, 15 principals and 16 vice principals of Buddhist monasteries/pagodas before Eid-ul-Fitr. A project to issue 2.5 million e-health cards in Khulna district under the pilot programme on 'issuance of e-health cards' is under the process, he said. The PM said the implementation of the 20,000 km canal excavation/re-excavation programme in the next 5 years has started from March 16, 2026 as per the government's election manifesto. Some 1.5 crore saplings of various species have already been produced for afforestation with the aim of planting 25 crore trees and creating green jobs in 5 years. The produced saplings will be planted in this monsoon, he said. Tarique Rahman said the government has a plan to distribute free-school uniforms to 200,000 children in government primary schools this fiscal year.