Directorate General of Family Planning
Profile
- Head
- Dr Ashrafi Ahmad, NDC
- Role
- Director General
- Annual budget
- —
- Staff
- 50648
- Established
- 1975
- Legal basis
- Established as the Directorate of Family Planning in August 1975 under the Division of Population Control and Family Planning; constituted under the Rules of Business 1996 as a subordinate office of the Medical Education and Family Welfare Division, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Managing an acute contraceptive stock-out across more than one-third of all 487 upazilas -- the worst supply failure in DGFP's post-1975 history -- while initiating emergency spot procurement. CPR has dropped to 58.2 percent (from 62.7 percent in 2019) and TFR has risen to 2.4, the first increase in 50 years, per MICS 2025. The National Family Planning Strategy 2025-2030 (launched October 2025 with UNFPA support) sets zero-unmet-need targets that are now threatened by the procurement breakdown. Twenty-five percent of the 50,648 sanctioned posts remain vacant, compounding field-level service delivery gaps.
Recent activity
- 2026-02-17 appointment BNP government sworn in under PM Tarique Rahman; DGFP continues under MEFWD oversight with Dr Ashrafi Ahmad, NDC remaining as Director General; MEFWD Secretary Md Quamruzzaman Chowdhury confirmed as divisional head. ↗↗
- 2026-04-22 scandal DGFP declared a 'red alert': contraceptives out of stock in more than one-third of 487 upazilas; as of 20 April, only 1.795 million condoms (36-day supply) and 2.963 million oral pills (40-day supply) remained nationwide; implants completely exhausted; IUDs out of stock in 395 upazilas. Procurement had stalled since July 2024 after the 5th Health, Population and Nutrition Sector Programme was not approved. ↗↗↗
- 2026-05-13 reform DGFP DG Dr Ashrafi Ahmad confirmed emergency procurement of condoms and oral pills underway; pending bills from the previous fiscal year cleared; supplies expected at district level by mid-May 2026. A major multi-contraceptive tender approved November 2025 remains at initial stage with a four-month delivery lead time, leaving a structural gap unresolved. ↗↗↗
Provenance & notes
Established August 1975 as Directorate of Family Planning under the Division of Population Control and Family Planning; confirmed by DGFP official history page (dgfp.gov.bd) and dgfpbd.org historical background. Current Director General Dr Ashrafi Ahmad, NDC confirmed by DGFP official website ([email protected] contact), UNFPA Bangladesh FP Strategy 2025-2030 launch report, and TBS procurement reporting; head_since left null as appointment date not found in available primary sources. Staff count of 50,648 sanctioned posts with 25 percent (approximately 12,720) vacant is sourced from Prothom Alo and TBS reporting cross-verified against the MEFWD parent record. Annual budget not separately broken out for DGFP in the Finance Division budget portal; figure omitted rather than estimated. National Family Planning Strategy 2025-2030 launch date is 28 October 2025 per UNFPA primary source -- the MEFWD sibling record incorrectly dates this event as March 2026. Contraceptive crisis figures (1/3 of 487 upazilas on red alert as of 20 April 2026; 1.795 million condoms, 2.963 million oral pills, zero implants, IUDs exhausted in 395 upazilas) cross-verified across BD Pratidin, Daily Star, TBS, Japan Times, Dawn, and Pakistan Today. CPR 58.2 percent (vs 62.7 percent in 2019) and TFR 2.4 sourced from MICS 2025 (Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics/UNICEF) as reported by Daily Star and TBS. The 5th HPNSP procurement stall since July 2024 confirmed as root cause by TBS and Dawn.
Sources
- https://dgfp.gov.bd/
- https://dgfpbd.org/dgfp_pages/dgfp_HistoricalBackground.html
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Directorate_General_of_Family_Planning
- https://grokipedia.com/page/directorate_general_of_family_planning
- https://bangladesh.unfpa.org/en/news/bangladesh-launches-landmark-family-planning-strategy-2025-2030
- https://www.observerbd.com/news/551645
- https://en.bd-pratidin.com/national/2026/04/22/61167
- https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/contraceptive-shortage-turns-alarming-4116761
- https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/editorial/news/urgently-address-contraceptive-crisis-4119161
- https://www.tbsnews.net/bangladesh/health/stalled-procurement-deepens-birth-control-crisis-raising-unintended-pregnancy
- https://en.prothomalo.com/bangladesh/8vpkfgpcxx
- https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2026/05/13/poor-planning-fuels-bangladesh-contraceptive-crisis
- https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2026/05/14/asia-pacific/society/bangladesh-contraceptive-crisis/
- https://www.dawn.com/news/1999893/poor-planning-fuels-bangladesh-contraceptive-crisis
- https://mis.dgfp.gov.bd/ss/ss_menu9.php