Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud has revealed that nearly half of Bangladesh’s social safety net beneficiaries are “ghosts” or politically favored individuals rather than genuine poor recipients. Speaking at the National Conference on Social Protection 2025, Dr. Mahmud said, “We are working on a national population register that will automatically identify the poor and their level of deprivation.” He stressed that extreme poverty has no place in a just society and that the roadmap being prepared should guide future governments in reforming the social safety net.