BNP to Introduce Family Cards for Marginalised Communities: Emran Saleh Prince

Syed Emran Saleh Prince, Joint Secretary General of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), has announced that if the party comes to power, family cards will be introduced to bring marginalised communities under rural rationing schemes.

Speaking during a public outreach programme on Friday, 3 October, at Dhara Bazar in Haluaghat Upazila, Mymensingh, Prince outlined a series of proposed initiatives aimed at improving social welfare and employment opportunities.

He stated that within the first 18 months of government formation, the BNP plans to:

• Create 10 million new jobs.
• Provide unemployment allowances for one year to educated unemployed individuals.
• Establish factories in all upazilas to expand business and trade for other unemployed individuals.

Prince further elaborated on agricultural and rural welfare initiatives, emphasising support for marginal farmers through Farmers’ Cards, which would include:

• Coverage of crop production costs.
• Rice procurement.
• Insurance schemes for crops, livestock, fisheries, and poultry, considering risks such as natural disasters.

He added that measures would be taken to maintain commodity prices within the purchasing power of citizens, including enhancing production efficiency, modernising rural markets, and waiving interest on loans for farmers affected by natural calamities.

Prince appealed to the public to support BNP, symbolised by the “paddy sheaf” (Dhaner Sheesh), stating: “The next government under the Paddy Sheaf will prioritise improving the living standards of the people and establish a welfare-oriented state. No other political party has the capability or forward-looking programmes that BNP possesses.”

Key Proposed Initiatives

The public outreach event was also attended by other BNP leaders and youth activists from Haluaghat Upazila, highlighting widespread party engagement at the local level.

These proposals signal BNP’s intent to focus on marginalised communities, rural welfare, and employment generation, positioning the party as a champion of forward-looking, welfare-oriented governance