Family Card a Dream Project of PM: Deputy Speaker

Kamal made the remarks while addressing a “Family Card” distribution ceremony as the chief guest at the Kalmakanda Zila Parishad Auditorium-cum-Multipurpose Hall on Saturday afternoon. The programme was organised by the Ministry of Social Welfare.

The event was arranged under the government’s social safety net programmes with the slogan “Family, not the individual, is the core unit of development” and “One ID, One Family” to implement the government’s social welfare vision.

Earlier, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman virtually inaugurated the second phase of the pilot programme simultaneously across the country, including in Kalmakanda.

Issuing a stern warning to field-level officials and public representatives, the Deputy Speaker said no irregularities or financial corruption in the Family Card programme or any government development initiative would be tolerated.

“Corruption is not limited to financial transactions only. Negligence in collecting information from the real underprivileged households despite being assigned the responsibility is also a major form of corruption,” he said.

Highlighting the realities of the data collection process, he said no discrimination based on class, religion or ethnicity — whether Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Garo or Hajong — can be made in distributing Family Cards. “Everyone must be evaluated equally as human beings,”

He also directed the authorities concerned to ensure that in future activities, priority is given to including families living in shanties, thatched houses and homes without even a single chair.

Barrister Kayser Kamal also urged affluent people who may have mistakenly received the allowance card worth Tk 2,500 to Tk 3,000 to share the support with genuinely poor neighbours.

Under the programme, Family Cards were distributed among 794 beneficiaries in Lengura Union of Kalmakanda upazila.

Expressing her feelings after receiving the card, beneficiary Lovely Rongdi of Phulbari village in Lengura Union became emotional.

“I am overwhelmed with emotion today. I never received any government assistance before in my life. I feel fortunate to have been selected as a beneficiary,” she said.

She said her husband and elderly parents somehow survive by collecting and selling firewood, adding that the family often cannot afford nutritious food.

Expressing gratitude to the Prime Minister, she said the Family Card assistance would help ease their hardship, support their children’s education and ensure better food for the family. She also sought the Deputy Speaker’s continued support for the area’s development and wished the Prime Minister long life and good health.

Deputy Commissioner Khandaker Mushfiqur Rahman chaired the programme.

Among others, Netrokona-2 lawmaker and district BNP president Prof Dr Anwarul Haque, Zila Parishad Administrator Advocate Nuruzzaman Nuru, Superintendent of Police Md Tarikul Islam, Deputy Director of the Department of Social Services Shah Alam, Kalmakanda Upazila Nirbahi Officer SM Mikail Islam attended the event as special guests.

Local administration officials, public representatives, journalists and beneficiaries were also present at the programme, reports BSS.