A concerning fact in Bangladesh is that only 34% of the population is protected by the safety net, even though the country's poverty rate is 19%, as revealed by the Planning Commission's most recent draft report.
This disparity shows a widening divide between those who receive and those who require assistance, providing a concerning image of the injustices and inefficiencies besetting the nation's social safety net programmes. Even with the country's encouraging economic growth, the fight for universal welfare is still very difficult.
The Socio-Economic Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission produced the final draft report of the "Social Security Sector Action Plan," which stated that "the beneficiary coverage ranges between 32% and 34% of the total population, surpassing the poverty rate of 18.7%."
The report's primary finding shows an astonishing increase in social safety net beneficiaries, almost doubling the number of people who were previously living below the poverty line and now depend on government assistance.
Policymakers are deeply concerned about this increase, doubting the effectiveness of the programmes and whether funds are really reaching the most vulnerable members of society.
Investigating further, the study reveals underlying defects in local beneficiary selection procedures, which are exacerbated by instances of corruption resulting in improper funding distribution.
Even with the safety net coverage higher than the poverty rate, disparities continue to exist, leading to incorrect exclusions and inclusions, which in turn denies vital support to those who are actually struggling.
Disparities in coverage between urban and rural areas worsen the problem, with urban poor people receiving only 50% of the coverage while their rural counterparts receive an astounding 150%.
In order to bridge the gap in access to welfare services, the commission prioritises growing social programmes that target the urban poor in order to address this disparity. But the report does more than just point out problems; it offers a path forward for development. The introduction of Management Information Systems (MIS) for accurate beneficiary identification, annual beneficiary list verification, and the establishment of transparent mechanisms—possibly linked to National Identity (NID) cards—to ensure fair and equitable distribution of resources are just a few of the recommendations that urge the government to address shortcomings in social security management over the next five years.
Although social security has a large budget allocation of Tk1,26,272 crore, which makes up 16.58% of the overall budget and 2.52% of the GDP of the nation, questions remain regarding the verification process and the eligibility of beneficiaries.
While different programmes target different beneficiary groups, such as the elderly, widows, pensioners, freedom fighters, and underprivileged communities, the effectiveness of these initiatives is called into question due to the absence of ongoing monitoring.
The report acts as a clear call to action for Bangladesh, encouraging it to review and update its social safety net programmes to make sure they are inclusive, comprehensive, and capable of reaching and assisting the most vulnerable citizens. Bangladesh's vision of a welfare state where no citizen is left behind can only be realised through strong management, transparency, and focused interventions.