The Bangladeshi government would soon bring the country's 27,000 more ultra poor households under its food and cash supports program to meet food and nutrition needs, Food Minister Abdur Razzak said here on Tuesday.

Under the government's "Vulnerable Group Development" (VGD) program, the families will get 30 kg rice or wheat per head and an allowance of 400 taka (about US$5.7) per head monthly.

Razzak told reporters here that "we're going to increase the number of beneficiaries aiming to help more ultra poor families bring changes in their socio economic life."

Razzak said, some 54,000 families have so far been brought under the VGD program with food and development assistance in collaboration with the World Food Program (WFP) since 2007.

As preference is given to female-headed families, Razzak said, the VGD program aims at promoting self-reliance among most vulnerable women by providing them with food assistance and training in alternative livelihood.

The VGD program also targets landless and low-income households and also those which are chronically food insecure and in poor housing conditions.

WFP is extending the supports aiming to help the Bangladeshi government achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by improving the food security, nutritional well-being and livelihoods of ultra poor households.