Family cards to be prioritised for low-income households: Sports Minister

Youth and Sports Minister Aminul Haque has said low-income and poor families should be prioritised in the distribution of family cards.

He said the government wants to ensure that women and mothers from vulnerable families living in slum areas such as Beguntila, Chollantika and Arambagh in Pallabi-Rupnagar receive the cards first.

Aminul made the remarks while addressing a tree-planting programme organised by the Pallabi thana unit of the Jatiyatabadi Swechchhasebak Dal in Pallabi on Wednesday morning.

“We will distribute family cards to 10 lakh families, Insha Allah. More than 40 lakh family cards will be distributed this year,” he said.

He urged officials involved in collecting information for the cards to remain vigilant so that financially solvent people do not receive priority.

“Those who are struggling and need assistance the most should receive the cards first,” Aminul said.

He said authorities would soon begin collecting information door to door in Pallabi and Rupnagar for the family card programme. Plans are also in place to prioritise vulnerable residents of the Beguntila, Chollantika and Arambagh slums.

On the country’s power and energy situation, the minister said Bangladesh is currently facing a genuine crisis.

“This is a reality that we must acknowledge,” he said, alleging that widespread corruption took place in the power sector under the previous government in the name of quick-rental power plants. He also said the current government assumed office amid a fragile economic situation.

Aminul said the government is working to meet people’s basic needs, including food, clothing, housing and healthcare. Efforts are also underway to strengthen the economy by attracting foreign investment and increasing domestic economic activity.

Speaking about the tree-planting programme, he said tree plantation was one of the commitments in the government’s election manifesto. The government has set a target of planting 25 crore trees over the next five years.

“It is not possible for the government alone to plant so many trees. Every citizen should plant at least one tree to help maintain environmental balance,” he said.

Aminul also stressed the importance of developing the habit of tree planting among children. Tree-planting programmes are being conducted with students from schools, colleges and primary schools to raise awareness from an early age about the benefits of trees and the need to protect the environment.

The minister also announced initiatives to free footpaths from illegal occupation. He said many footpaths in different areas have been illegally occupied, making it difficult for pedestrians, particularly students, to move freely. The authorities have started operations to reclaim the footpaths in coordination with the administration and local leaders.

Pallabi thana Swechchhasebak Dal convener Mehedi Hasan Babu presided over the programme, while member secretary Robiul Karim Babu moderated it.

Dhaka North BNP joint convener Gazi Rezwanul Hossain Riaz and Mahabubul Alam Montu attended the event as special guests. Rupnagar thana Jubo Dal member secretary Hadiul Islam Rajib, Pallabi thana Swechchhasebak Dal joint conveners Ripon Hossain, Mosharaf Hossain and Farid Ahmed Chanchal, Abdus Salam, and members of the thana convening committee, including Imran, Asad and Mamun, were also present, along with local BNP and affiliated organisation leaders.

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