Safety net allocation inadequate

Bangladesh's allocation to social safety net programmes is inadequate, and a significant portion of the existing funds does not reach the poor, said speakers at a discussion in Dhaka today.

They highlighted the need to prioritise schemes that directly support the poor and marginalised, such as old-age, disability, and maternity allowances. Programmes not directly linked to poverty alleviation should be excluded from the social safety net, they added.

The discussion, titled "Social Safety Net Programme and the National Budget to Address Inequality", was organised by the Right to Food Bangladesh network at the Jatiya Press Club.

Mohsin Ali, general secretary of Right to Food Bangladesh, said the interim government formed on August 8 is now being tested on how it will act on the issue of social safety nets.

He said that while the introduction of the National Social Security Strategy in 2015 was a good initiative, the beneficiary selection process remains unclear in practice.

Saidur Rahman Khan, director general of the Department of Social Services, said complaints about allowance disbursement have declined in recent times.

"We are working to prevent duplication so that the same person does not receive allowances from multiple sources," he added.

"We need to think about what a social safety net means, who should receive it, and how it should be delivered," said MM Akash, former economics professor at Dhaka University.

He stressed the importance of utilising social initiatives to reduce pressure on the state.

SM Zulfiqar Ali, research director at the Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, said that while the number of allowances and beneficiaries has increased in the FY2025–26 budget, the monthly allowance amount still falls short of the poverty line income.

Right to Food Bangladesh made several recommendations, including reviewing and excluding programmes that do not align with core poverty-reduction objectives, increasing the allocation and per-beneficiary amount, and introducing new schemes for the urban poor.

They noted that after excluding pension payments, the allocation for the social safety net stands at just 10.31 percent of the national budget, which is less than 1 percent of GDP.