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Family card, women’s self-reliance top govt agenda
Published : Tuesday, 27 October, 2026 at 5:19 PM
Observer Online Report
The government aims to distribute Family Cards to 4.1 million women in the current fiscal year as part of its efforts to ensure women’s financial security and economic self-reliance, Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin has said.
He made the remarks while addressing the ‘National Summit on Young Women’s Empowerment’ at Sheraton Hotel in Dhaka on Tuesday morning.
Mahdi Amin, also spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, said women’s empowerment, quality education and skills development were among the government’s key priorities.
He said, Bangladesh’s demographic dividend, particularly its large youth population and women accounting for more than half of the population, offered significant opportunities for national development.
The adviser said, the government was working to expand educational opportunities for women, including extending free education from Class XII to the undergraduate level. Initiatives were also underway to improve school attendance through meal programmes, free uniforms and shoes, and better sanitation facilities for female students.
Highlighting the role of sports in developing young people, he said the ‘Notun Kuri Sports’ programme had been launched this year, involving around 1.7 million students. A primary school football tournament also saw participation from 1.1 million boys and an equal number of girls, he added.
Stressing the need to move beyond rote learning, Mahdi Amin said the government was promoting technical education and short courses to prepare young people for employment. Training centres and vocational institutes were also introducing specialised skills courses and foreign language training to expand overseas job opportunities.
The government was also working to promote women’s entrepreneurship through low-interest loans without collateral, seed funding and grants for innovative business ideas, he said.
Referring to overseas employment, the adviser said initiatives were being taken to provide women with advanced training in nursing, caregiving and specialised fields to help them secure safe, dignified and well-paid jobs abroad.
He emphasised that inclusive development required bringing women into the mainstream of the economy and governance, adding that the government was committed to working with the private sector, development partners and non-governmental organisations to achieve that goal.
Praising the contributions of Save the Children and UNICEF, Mahdi Amin said, the government wanted to strengthen cooperation with development partners through a coordinated platform.
Save the Children in Bangladesh Country Director ASM Rahmat Ullah Bhuiyan chaired the event. UNICEF Chief of Education Deepa Shankar, Additional Secretary and ‘Earn’ project director Kazi Mokhlesur Rahman, and Acting Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Mahfuzul Alam Khan were also present.
-MT
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Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Advertisement: 41053012; 01793317829, 01550707291, 01550707296
E-mail: [email protected], [email protected]. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], Online-email: [email protected]
