The life of hardship of not having any house is going to end for the landless and homeless people of Meherpur as another 160 families in the district are getting semi-pucca house and land as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Sixty-four years old Sumela Begum said, “I had to suffer during hot weather and rain as I did not have any place to live in. I spent many sleepless nights. Now, I feel like I am in heaven. Having a pucca house is like a dream for us.”
Mala Khatun, who lives with one daughter and two sons, said that her husband left them long ago.
“I could not sleep well with my children in anxiety. I used to live in a dilapidated house. I am overjoyed to have a new house,” she added.
A total of 160 semi-pucca houses were constructed at Raghunathpur village under Sadar Upazila of Meherpur. About 550 members of 160 families are living there. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the houses online on June 10. The documents of the houses will be formally handed over to them on that day. However, the landless people have already started to live in the houses there. Each of the houses consists of two rooms, one bathroom, balcony and red-green colored tin shade.
Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer Nahida Islam said that 160 houses have been constructed in Raghunathpur Asrayan of Sadar Upazila at a cost of Tk 4 crore 80 lakh. The construction cost of each house is estimated at Tk 3 lakh. Besides, a school for children's education, concrete roads, water and electricity facility have been ensured for them.
The houses were built in Raghunathpur village, five kilometers away from Meherpur town. The entire village was covered with red and green tin shades of the houses. While visiting there, it was seen that around 550 landless people started living in the new houses. Many of them started rearing cows and goats there. Some others were sewing Nakshi Kantha, a type of embroidered quilt, while some others were growing vegetables at their vegetable gardens in front of the houses.
The residents are excited to get a new house. They expressed their gratitude to the Prime Minister. They also thanked Meherpur-1 Constituency MP and Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain.
A beneficiary named Chabeda Khatun said, “Once I used to live in a dilapidated house. The sun and rain were our constant companions. I never dreamed that I would live in such a beautiful house. It is like a dream for us.”
The poor people got new houses with the sincerity of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. They are grateful to her.
Sabur Ali said, “We have no land. We got a new semi-pucca house due to honorable Prime Minister. I am living very well with one son, two daughters and my wife.”
Meherpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Kazi Najib Hasan said that a few days ago the residents of Raghunath Asrayan were living in a very dilapidated condition. Later, with the efforts of the Minister of Public Administration, new houses were built in the entire village.
He also said I am lucky as I could work in this wonderful arrangement of the present government. Now the roads will be paved. The residents will be provided employment through cooperative loans to make them self-reliant through various types of training. So that along with housing, economic independence will also be met. Through the Department of Agriculture, they will be asked to cultivate vegetables on the vacant land here. The work is underway to nationalize the primary school here. Free electricity service has been ensured for all the houses here. Safe drinking water is also ensured for all.
Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain said Honorable Prime Minister is giving semi-pucca houses and land to the homeless and landless people not only in Meherpur but also in all over Bangladesh. She is giving them a safe place to live. Their children can study there. Electricity, roads and water facilities are being provided there. They are very happy to get new houses.
If there are more landless people, we will arrange new houses for them too. Honorable Prime Minister will officially inaugurate these houses on June 10.
