Farmer’s Card and comprehensive farmer protection

This pledge has been articulated in the Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s (BNP) election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th National Election. In its election manifesto for Bangladesh’s 13th National Election, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) stated that "A secure and reliable Farmer Card will be issued for farmers. Through this card, farmers will be able to access fertiliser, seeds, pesticides, government subsidies and incentives at fair prices, and agricultural machinery at low cost. In addition, they will receive low-cost irrigation services, easy-term agricultural loans, agricultural insurance, facilities to sell farm produce at fair prices, and agriculture-related training. Farmers will also be able to receive weather and market information on their phones and access mobile-based crop treatment/advisory services using the Farmer Card. Fish farmers and livestock farmers will also receive these benefits. Small businesses linked to the agricultural sector will be included as well. In every Union Parishad, an open consultation process will be used to build a transparent database and prepare a list of genuine farmers eligible for state support."

On 25 February 2026, the Government of Bangladesh issued a gazette notification forming a committee to operationalise the ‘Farmers Card’ initiative referenced in the election manifesto. The committee is chaired by the Minister of Agriculture.

The Farmers Card is designed as a unified digital identification and service delivery system for farmers, combining a 14-digit geo-coded farmer ID with a bank-linked debit card issued through designated government banks. During the pre-piloting stage, landless, marginal, and small farmers will receive an annual transfer of BDT 2,500, which can be utilised through the card. The system will operate through Point of Sale (POS) machines at authorised dealers, allowing farmers to access agricultural inputs and services through controlled transactions. All Bangladeshi citizens directly engaged in crop production, fisheries, or livestock activities are eligible for the card, including land-owning farmers, tenant and sharecroppers, fish farmers, livestock and poultry farmers, and individuals involved in government-recognised agricultural work. Through the Farmers Card, farmers are expected to access ten key services: agricultural inputs (fertiliser, seeds, pesticides) at fair prices; irrigation services; agricultural credit; subsidised machinery; government subsidies and incentives; mobile crop pest management support; agricultural training; weather and market information; agricultural insurance; and support for selling produce at fair prices, along with the facility to receive and utilise financial transfers through the card. The finance minister announced in the budget speech that Tk. 1062.5 crore has been allocated under the farmer card programme to bring 42.5 lakh farmers in 100 upazilas. A grievance tab is also available on the Farmers Card website, which directs users to the national grievance redress system of the Government of Bangladesh; however, no detailed programme-specific grievance mechanism has been outlined.

According to the programme design, the pre-piloting phase is to be implemented in selected agricultural blocks through digital data collection, database preparation, card issuance via designated banks, and distribution of incentives to eligible farmers. This is to be followed by a pilot in 15 upazilas and gradual nationwide rollout. On 14 April 2026, the Farmers Card programme was formally launched under the pre-piloting phase across 11 blocks in 11 upazilas spanning 10 districts, namely Kamlapur block in Panchagarh Sadar, Panchpir block in Boda (Panchagarh), Uthli block in Shibganj (Bogura), Kripalpur block in Shailokupa (Jhenaidah), Rajabari block in Nesarabad (Pirojpur), Rajarchara block in Teknaf (Cox’s Bazar), Aryannapur block in Cumilla Sadar, Suruj block in Tangail Sadar, Tenapocha block in Goalanda (Rajbari), Fultala block in Juri (Moulvibazar), and Gaibandha block in Islampur (Jamalpur). At the inauguration, it is reported in newspapers that a one-time transfer of BDT 2,500 was transferred to the accounts of 22,065 farmers, including 2,246 landless (10.18%), 9,458 marginal (42.86%), 8,967 smallholders (40.64%), 1,303 medium-sized (5.91%), and 91 large-scale farmers (0.41%). All cards are linked to accounts opened at Sonali Bank. The pre-piloting phase is reported to cost approximately BDT 8.34 crore, with a pilot phase planned in 15 upazilas by August 2026 and nationwide rollout expected over the next four years. On 18th July, the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) launched nationwide data collection for the Farmer's Card to support the implementation of the Farmer's Card programme. In FY 27, the farmers' card will be distributed in 100 upazilas among 42.5 lakh beneficiaries, and for this project, 1 thousand 62 crore and 50 lakh Taka has been allocated. BNP government’s 180-day progress report published on 17 August 2026 stated that the pre-piloting phase of the Farmer Card initiative successfully distributed cards to 20,832 farmers. Additionally, 20,483 farmers received a total of Tk 5.12 crore under the agricultural incentive scheme. Following the pre-pilot, the government began expanding the farmer database and banking infrastructure needed for a larger pilot. Nationwide farmer data collection was launched in July, and by early October, a database of around 19.25 lakh farmers had been prepared and about 9 lakh bank accounts had been opened. The nationwide pilot phase was formally launched on 1 October 2026. Ahead of the launch, the Agriculture Minister said that the pilot would cover 77 upazilas in 56 districts and bring 110,165 farmers under the first phase. He also stated that 100,047 farmers would receive Tk 2,500 each as agricultural-input assistance, amounting to about Tk 25 crore.