DHAKA, APR 13 (V7N) – Prime Minister’s Adviser on Expatriate Welfare and Overseas Employment Mahdi Amin said today that the upcoming “Farmer Card” initiative is designed to integrate modern technology into agriculture and directly empower farmers.  

“Farmer Card is not merely a distribution programme but a powerful tool to directly empower farmers and introduce the agriculture sector with modern technology. The fortune of the farmers will be changed through the card,” Amin told reporters after a meeting with agricultural investors at the Bangladesh Secretariat.  

The programme, announced earlier by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman, will be officially launched in Tangail on Pahela Baishakh. More than 20,000 farmers across 11 upazilas in 10 districts will receive the cards initially. Each cardholder will receive Tk 2,500 in financial assistance, along with subsidized inputs, crop insurance, government subsidies, and access to modern farming equipment.  

Plans also include advanced training programmes to strengthen farmers’ skills. Amin emphasized that the initiative will ensure subsidies reach farmers directly without intermediaries and guarantee fair market prices for agricultural products.  

He added that the programme is part of the BNP’s election manifesto and 31-point reform agenda, aimed at empowering people socially and economically across all sectors.  

END/AJ/RH