Some 1,822 more landless and homeless families will get houses as gifts by the generosity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in five districts in Rajshahi division today.
They will get the houses in the second stage of the fourth phase of Ashrayan- 2 project to mark the Mujib Barsha. On March 7, 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced that none will remain homeless in Bangladesh.
Md. Imtiaz Hossain, additional commissioner (Revenue) of Rajshahi Division, told BSS that the Premier will launch distribution of the houses with land ownership documents and keys to the beneficiary families virtually today (Wednesday).
A total of three districts-- Naogaon, Natore and Pabna- are also going to be declared as free of landless and homeless people in the division.
Earlier on the first stage of fourth phase on March 22 last, Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj and Joypurhat districts were declared as free of landless and homeless people.
He said there were 31,930 homeless and landless families in 'KA' class in eight districts under the division. Already, 28,907 of those were rehabilitated in the first, second, third and first stage of the fourth phase and the beneficiary figure will stand at 30,729 tomorrow.
For today, houses were allocated to 1,822 families in the division. Of them, 202 in Naogaon, 567 in Natore, 646 in Pabna, 255 in Sirajganj, 82 in Bogura and 70 in Joypurhat districts.
Imtiaz Hossain said 41 upazilas were declared as freed from landless and homeless people in the earlier four phases. With tomorrow's distribution, 64 out of total 67 upazilas will be freed from homeless and landless people in the division.
Main thrust of the initiative is to improve the standard of living, ensure basic education, health care and skill development on income generating activities of the beneficiary people.
The floors and walls of the houses are brick-built as the roofs were made of corrugated sheet. The houses were made colorfully and eye-catching. The disaster resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government.
At the initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has provided the homeless people with the houses to alleviate their poverty through giving shelters and human resource development activities.
On behalf of Ashrayan Project-2 of the Prime Minister's Office, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has built the houses.
Each of the semi-pucca houses with two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet, common space and veranda are built at a cost of Taka 2.59 lakh.
Divisional Commissioner Dr. Dewan Muhammad Humayun Kabir said the construction of the houses is a laudable step of the government.
All the government's line departments, including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, youth development, cooperatives, women affairs and social development have started expanding their activities to the Ashrayan villages to improve the living and livelihood conditions of the settlers.
Adury Begum, one of the beneficiaries of Jhalpukur Ashrayan Project in Mohanpur upazila, said she used to live in a thatched house before getting the new one. She had to suffer a lot due to the lack of a house.
But, the worst situation has changed now. She along with her husband and two daughters are having happy days in the house.
"I never thought that I would be an owner of a brick-built house," she said with a smiling face, adding that the house gave her three-member family a new life expressing deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her benevolent initiative.
Kolpona Kisku, a widow of Dewpur village under Paba upazila, is living in the new house at Kasiadanga Ashrayan Project with her two sons Bishwajit and Durjoy. Bishwajit is now a third year student in Rajshahi University (RU).
"We are very happy to receive such a gift from the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. We are grateful to her," Kolpona said while expressing her gratitude to the government.
