Bangladesh has extensive experience and commendable success in implementing social security programs, primarily aimed at supporting vulnerable communities in rural, agriculture-dependent areas. However, the country has already transitioned to a lower-middle-income status and is poised to graduate from a least-developed country (LDC) to a developing nation in the near future.
To align with this new socio-economic reality, social security initiatives must now be restructured. This view was expressed by panelists at a pre-budget webinar titled “Reforms in Social Security” organized by Unnayan Shamannay on Monday, March 24, 2025.
During the presentation of the concept paper, Abdullah Nadvi, Research Director of Unnayan Shamannay, noted that although over 17% of the national budget is allocated to social security, one-third of this amount is spent on pensions for government officials and employees, as well as interest on savings certificates. In reality, only about 15% of the allocation is directly invested in programs for the poor and vulnerable. He further highlighted that Bangladesh invests just 0.7% of its GDP in social security, compared to 1.1% to 1.5% in neighboring South Asian countries.
In the panel discussion, sociologist and BIGD Research Fellow Khondkar Sakawat Ali emphasized the need to address rising income inequality. While existing social security policies primarily focus on agriculture-dependent households, Sakawat Ali pointed out that although agriculture still employs the largest share of the workforce, the industrial and service sectors are rapidly expanding. He stressed the importance of designing new social security programs tailored to marginalized families dependent on these emerging sectors.
River expert and organizer of Riverine People, Sheikh Rokon, advocated for targeted protection for climate-vulnerable communities. He highlighted the heightened socio-economic risks faced by char (riverine island) dwellers and urged the adoption of specific social security measures to address their unique challenges.
Professor Ishrat Shamim, President of CWCS, underscored the need to prioritize social security for informal workers, who constitute 85% of the workforce. While rural informal workers are relatively easier to reach, identifying urban informal workers in industrial and service sectors remains challenging. She recommended creating a separate database to effectively target potential beneficiaries in urban areas.
The webinar included open discussions with representatives from marginalized communities in chars, haors (wetlands), and hill tracts, local government officials, development experts, and university students. It was moderated by Zahid Rahman, Senior Project Coordinator of Unnayan Shamannay and Member Secretary of the National Char Alliance.
