Strengthening Social Protection in Bangladesh Gaps, Costs and Policy Recommendations

Bangladesh’s social protection system covers a wide range of programmes for specific groups and low-income households, yet it continues to fall short in ensuring basic security and enabling pathways out of poverty. The National Social Security Strategy (NSSS) was designed to streamline interventions and prioritise the most vulnerable, but overlapping programmes, targeting errors, and administrative weaknesses have limited its impact. Programme fragmentation persists, and regional disparities and inclusion–exclusion errors continue to undermine effectiveness. As Bangladesh seeks to align with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 1.3, which is to implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and expand coverage to all the poor and vulnerable by 2030, the case for moving towards universal social protection is gaining traction. This policy brief examines the current social protection landscape, the financial implications of transitioning to universality, and a potential framework to guide policymakers in building a more equitable and resilient social security system.