50 lakh listed families to get cash assistance within May 18

The government will provide cash assistance of Tk2,500 within May 18 to each of 50 lakh listed poor and jobless families who have been hit hard by the Covid-19 crisis.

The finance ministry's finance division released the money on behalf of the Prime Minister's Office on May 11.

Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, told The Business Standard yesterday, "Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the initiative on May 14 through video conference, with the transfer Tk2,500 to listed poor people's mobile financial services account."

The listed families will receive the money through mobile financial services before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Md Habibur Rahman, additional secretary of the finance division, told The Business Standard that Tk1,257crore was released on May 11. "When the prime minister inaugurates the cash assistance programme on May 14, ten lakh families will get Tk2,500 each. In the next four days, 40 lakh families will get similar assistance. This means 50 lakh listed families will get Tk2,500 each within May 18 ."

The finance ministry and disaster management and relief ministry officials said the mobile numbers of poor families were collected while making the list. The money will be sent to them through bKash, Rocket, Nagad, SureCash or any other available services. No one will get the money in cash.

The mobile financial service providers will get Tk6 per Tk1,000 provided as cash assistance to those poor families. But these families will not have to bear the burden of fees, as the government will take care of all related expenses.

Alongside the cash assistance, the food ministry will also distribute 20 kilograms of rice at Tk10 per kg to each of the listed 50 lakh families. 

In case the Covid-19 crisis continues after May, the government will extend assistance to these families in June too, State Minister for Disaster Management and Relief Dr Md Enamur Rahman told The Business Standard.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in April announced that assistance would be provided through new ration cards to 50 lakh families that became jobless due to the Covid-19 crisis. A list of eligible families was then prepared at the local government level.

Low-income people including rickshaw pullers, day labourers, construction workers, agricultural workers, shop staff, poultry workers, transport workers, and hawkers will get the benefit.

Those who are already beneficiaries of the government's food-friendly programmes did not make it to the list.