Bangladesh
Widow Allowance Income limit relaxed for allowance for widows, those abused by husbands
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 2 April 2024: Income limit for widows and husband dependent allowance has been relaxed. Widows and widowed women earning less than 15,000 rupees per annum will come under the allowance. The cabinet has approved the draft 'Bidhoba o Swami Nigrhita Bhata Kormosuchi Bastobayon Nitimala, 2024', relaxing the income limit. This approval was given in the Cabinet meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office on Monday (April 1). It was presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
At the end of the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain informed this information in the press briefing. He said, "A very big social security program of the government is the implementation of the Bidhoba o Swami Nigrhita Bhata Kormosuchi Bastobayon program." It was started by the Prime Minister in 1998-99. In the financial year 2024-25, 25 lakh 75 thousand widows and husband deserters have been given allowance. They are given an allowance of taka 550 per month.
Now that some changes have been made in that policy, the Cabinet Secretary said, "In the previous policy, it was said that who will get the allowance - her personal annual income should be below 12 thousand taka. Now it has been increased to 15 thousand taka. That is, those who earn less than 15,000 taka per year will come under the allowance. Now every beneficiary is given 550 taka per month. A total of 25 lakh 75 thousand people are given this allowance.
Stating that the new policy has made it mandatory to pay the allowance through mobile financial services, he said, this allowance will be paid on GTP (Government to People) basis.
The Cabinet Secretary said, 'Earlier the system of online selection through management network system has been institutionalized in this policy. Online application will be accepted and online selection process will be conducted. There will be a vetting system, only those selected will get the allowance.
