Tarek Rahman Announces Plan to Launch ‘Universal Card’ at the UN

The government is planning to introduce a ‘Universal Card’ to consolidate various social safety net cards into a single system. Prime Minister Tarek Rahman announced this plan during his address to the UN General Assembly. Once implemented, this initiative will facilitate the coordination of assistance programs across various sectors.
On Thursday (September 24), the Prime Minister delivered a speech in Bangla at the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York. In addition to social safety, he outlined Bangladesh's stance on equal access to technology, the Rohingya crisis, and climate change.
Tarek Rahman stated that the government's goal is to ensure the benefits of economic growth reach every family. To this end, he highlighted programs designed to assist the economically disadvantaged, such as Family Cards, Farmers' Cards, Sports Cards, and e-Health Cards. The Prime Minister noted that the government views the Family Card—issued in the name of the female head of the household—as a symbol of women's economic empowerment.
He explained that the plan to launch the ‘Universal Card’ involves integrating the cards used in these various sectors. However, he did not provide specific details regarding the launch date or the operational mechanism of the card in that part of his speech.
Messages on Technology, the Rohingya Crisis, and Climate Change
In his speech, Tarek Rahman expressed concern that the benefits of technology are not reaching people across all nations equally. He emphasized the need to ensure technology transfer, capacity building, and affordable access for developing countries. He also called for effective UN policies to harness the benefits of artificial intelligence and social media in a positive manner.
Regarding the Rohingya crisis, the Prime Minister stated that the root cause lies in Myanmar, and the solution must also be found there. He sought the international community's support for the safe repatriation of the Rohingya people and urged the continuation of life-saving assistance until repatriation takes place.
The Prime Minister also expressed his expectation for stronger global action at the COP-31 conference to address the impacts of climate change. He stated that a program has been undertaken to plant 250 million trees across the country over the next five years. A program to excavate 20,000 kilometers of canals has also been launched to tackle the impacts of floods and droughts.