Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka Nicolas Weeks met with Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain at Bangladesh Secretariat. Photo: PID

   DHAKA, May 4, 2026 (BSS) – Social Welfare, Women and Children Affairs Minister Professor Dr AZM Zahid Hossain today said the Swedish experience and technical support could be of high utility for Bangladesh’s social welfare with an extra focus on gender issues as Swedish Ambassador in Dhaka met him.

   “The experiences and technological supports of a country like Sweden could be of high importance in our journey (for social development),” an official statement quoted him as saying as Envoy Nicolas Weeks called on him at Bangladesh Secretariat.

   It said during the meeting both sides discussed bilateral issues including ways to further strengthen cooperation between the two countries in the areas of social welfare, women and child development, gender equality, social protection and humanitarian assistance.

   Hossain, the statement said, expressed his gratitude to Sweden for its continued support to various development projects and social development programs in Bangladesh.

   The minister told the envoy the present government placed special priority on empowering women and children, ensuring inclusion of persons with disabilities and improving the livelihoods of marginalized communities as part of its electoral promises.

   He told the ambassador that Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s Universal Family Card was expected to be a landmark initiative for the benefit of the ordinary people through Bangladesh.

   He noted that in the first phase, 37,814 family cards were distributed in Dhaka, followed by 911 cards in Bogura in the second phase, primarily targeting women as household heads.

   Under this programme, beneficiary families will receive a monthly allowance of taka 2,500, which will be given directly to recipients through mobile wallets or banks.

   The minister said the government was implementing as well food programmes to meet the nutritional needs of primary school students while it declared zero tolerance against violence against women and children. 

   He said initiatives like increased daycare centers up to upazila levels, co-curricular education through children’s academies and providing training in foreign languages, care giving and outsourcing for youth employment were also underway.

   The Swedish Ambassador praised Bangladesh’s social welfare initiatives and reaffirmed Sweden’s commitment to deepen its longstanding friendly relations with Bangladesh. 
   Weeks highlighted potential areas of cooperation which included prevention of gender-based violence, child nutrition and education and humanitarian assistance for climate-vulnerable populations.

   The ambassador also assured continued technical support, training and financial assistance to help Bangladesh achieve its social development goals.

   The statement said the Rohingya refugee crisis also featured their talks alongside women entrepreneurship development, child rights and education, inclusive programmes for persons with disabilities and sustainable social development initiatives.

     Hossain sought Sweden’s cooperation in implementing Bangladesh’s “Integrated Social Welfare Model” by leveraging Swedish expertise.

   Senior ministry officials and representatives from the Swedish embassy were present at the meeting.