Bangladesh raises social safety net allowances, expands beneficiary numbers in 2026‑27 budget

More elderly, widows, disabled, mothers and fishermen are to benefit

The government has expanded the coverage of social safety nets and increased several allowances for the 2026‑27 fiscal year.

The Advisory Committee on Safety Net Programmes on Sunday approved the scope and allowance rates for the coming fiscal year at a meeting chaired by Finance Advisor Salehuddin Ahmed.

According to a finance ministry statement, the number of beneficiaries under the old‑age allowance scheme has been raised by 100,000 to 6.2 million.

Of them, nearly six million elderly people will now receive Tk 700 a month, up from Tk 650, while 25,000 aged over 90 will get Tk 1,000.

For widows and women deserted by husbands, 2.9 million beneficiaries will receive Tk 700 monthly, while 25,000 aged over 90 will get Tk 1,000.

The disability allowance will cover 3.6 million people, with most receiving Tk 900 and 18,100 receiving Tk 1,000.

Although the monthly rate remains unchanged, coverage has expanded from 3.45 million in 2025‑26.

Scholarships for students with disabilities have been raised by Tk 50 per month, with primary students receiving Tk 950, secondary Tk 1,000, higher secondary Tk 1,100 and tertiary Tk 1,350.

Under programmes for disadvantaged groups, 228,389 people will now receive Tk 700 monthly, up from Tk 650, while scholarships for disadvantaged students have been set at Tk 700 for primary, Tk 800 for secondary, Tk 1,000 for higher secondary and Tk 1,200 for tertiary levels.

Financial assistance for patients suffering from cancer, kidney disease, liver cirrhosis, stroke paralysis, congenital heart disease and thalassaemia has been expanded to 65,000 beneficiaries, with one‑time support doubled to Tk 100,000.

The mother and child support programme under the Ministry of Women and Children Affairs will now cover nearly 1.9 million mothers, each receiving Tk 850 monthly.

The Food Friendly Programme has been expanded to six million families, each entitled to 30kg of rice per month for six months at Tk 15 per kg.

Allowances for decorated freedom fighters and families of martyred freedom fighters have been increased by Tk 5,000.

In the report, the committee also recommended bringing July Uprising martyrs’ families and injured persons under monthly honouraria, and including the Vulnerable Group Feeding (VGF) programme of the fisheries and livestock ministry within the safety net framework.

Moreover, 273,514 fishermen will be newly included, bringing the total to 1.5 million under the VGF scheme.