A delegation from the UNFPA and UN Women today met with Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain at his office at the secretariat. Photo: PID

DHAKA, April 05, 2026 (BSS)- A delegation from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and UN Women today met with Social Welfare and Women and Children Affairs Minister Dr AZM Zahid Hossain at his office at the secretariat here. 

The delegation was led by Catherine Breen Kamkong, Country Representative of UNFPA Bangladesh, and Gitanjali Singh, Country Representative of UN Women.

During the meeting, the two sides discussed various aspects of population, health, women and youth empowerment, gender equality and social security programmes in Bangladesh. 

Zahid Hossain highlighted the progress of the government's important election pledge of the 'Family Card' programme. 

He said that one of the issues in the election manifesto of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) was the distribution of family cards among the poor.

As per the election manifesto, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman inaugurated the family card distribution programme in Dhaka on March 10, just 21 days after the formation of the government. Social security is being strengthened by providing family cards in the name of the female head of each family, he added. 

In the meantime, he said, 37,567 families in the country have come under the family card programme in the pilot phase. “Universally, we will gradually provide family cards to four crore families in the next five years,” he added. 

The delegation of UNFPA and UN Women praised the welfare initiatives of the Bangladesh government in social security and assured of further cooperation in population management, maternal health, family planning, prevention of child marriage and youth development, and prevention of violence against women and children. 

They especially mentioned UNFPA's long-standing partnership in ensuring the health and rights of women and adolescents.

Social Welfare Secretary Dr Mohammad Abu Yusuf, Women and Children Affairs Secretary Yasmin Parveen, and senior officials of the ministry were present. 

Both sides agreed to accelerate social development in Bangladesh through increased joint projects and technical assistance in the future.