Social Safety Net: Leading towards a poverty free Bangladesh

Bangladesh government led by Bangladesh Awami League is gradually increasing its budget in social safety net programs every year. Expenses in this sector has been increased from 16,706 crore taka in 2009-10 to 22,750 crore taka in current fiscal year.

A brief overview of the current social safety net programs of Bangladesh Awami League government:

One house One farm project is currently now being implemented at 17,338 villages of 1932 unions of 64 districts. 11 lakh families is now directly being benefitted by this project. These familes now have their own capital of approximately 1,344 crore taka.

58,703 landless, homeless and distressed families have been rehabilitated under Asrayan-1 project. When government initiated Asrayan-2 project at 2012-13 fiscal year , 5,425 Aila and Sidr effected families were rehabilitated. For creating employment for the poor mass, government has provided 17,720 acres of cultivable land for 30,400 families.

Awami League government was the first government of Bangladesh which started providing allowances for physically challenged elders. Under this project government has already allocated 819 crore taka to 24,75,000 people in 2012-13 fiscal year.

9,20,000 widow and vulnerable women are currently getting allowances under this project. On the other hand 2,86,000 physically challenged are constantly getting allowances from the Awami League government.

Future Plan:

Bangladesh Awami League is determined to win the war against poverty. To fight poverty and achieving Vision-2021, Bangladesh Awami League will take necessary steps in order to cut down the poverty rate from 15 % to 13 % by 2021. This target seems highly achievable if we look at the current development of Awami League government in its social safety net programs. Government has decided to continue its social safety programs in poverty stricken areas. Government will initiate a pension program for all non-governmental organizations in 2018. For ensuring social safety for all government has decided to implement a new national pension program by 2021.

Bangladesh Awami League believes that to achieve vision-2021 and to make Bangladesh a developed country by 2050, there is no alternative to poverty reduction. Social Safety Net programs of the current government led by Bangladesh Awami League are playing an important role for creating self-dependent and solvent manpower. With these programs Bangladesh is hoped to break the shackles of poverty very soon.