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World Food Programme (WFP) Country Director in Bangladesh Coco H. Ushiyama met Women and Children Affairs and Social Welfare Minister Prof Dr A Z M Zahid Hossain at his office at the Secretariat on Tuesday.
Women and Children Affairs Secretary Yasmeen Parveen was also present at the meeting.
The discussions covered social safety-net programmes, the Family Card initiative, food security, school meals for primary students, education, health, nutrition, the impacts of climate change and technical cooperation.
The minister thanked the WFP for its continued support and said the government had begun implementing the Family Card initiative, one of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s election pledges, from the first month after taking office.
He said 4.1 million families would receive Family Cards in the current fiscal year.
The minister also said the government was providing training and seed capital to help low-income people engage in income-generating activities and become entrepreneurs.
Ushiyama praised the Family Card initiative, particularly the decision to issue the cards in women’s names, describing the approach as clear, timely and realistic.
She assured the minister of WFP’s support in providing technical assistance and sharing experience to help implement the programme.
Ushiyama also briefed the minister on WFP’s welfare activities worldwide and highlighted the organisation’s emergency assistance during the recent floods in Chattogram.