The government's 'Ashrayan' project is being viewed as the 'Sheikh Hasina Model' for inclusive development since it has emerged as blessings for homeless-landless people to find housing facilities under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
"The government has already rehabilitated 7,40,032 families (37,00,160 people) by providing houses with ownership of land under different ministries, divisions, the Ashrayan project and the executive cell of the Prime Minister's Office," an official familiar with the process told BSS Friday.
He said the government has rehabilitated 5,38,139 families (37,00,160 people) under the Ashrayan project since 1997 to August 2022 aimed at bringing marginal section of people to the mainstream.
According to Ashrayan project document, Bangladesh is becoming economically prosperous, socially developed and technologically advanced with the model of inclusive development.
With a view to brining qualitative changes in the lives and livelihoods of the people, special attention has been given to ensure the basic needs of the poor, it said.
The project said Bangladesh is making great strides in the path towards progress under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Breaking through all barriers, the Prime Minister keeps on proceeding
with the development programmes, including some mega projects, it said.
Through 'Ashrayan-2 Project', Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is brining the homeless and disadvantaged people in the inclusive development process. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reaffirmed that not a single person in Bangladesh will be left homeless.
To this end, the government rehabilitated 5,38,139 families under the Ashrayan project since 1997 to August 2022, of which 1,68,048 families through barrack houses, 1,53,853 families through building houses on land owned by beneficiaries, 640 climate victims family through free flats in multi-storied buildings at Khurushkul union in Cox's Bazar, 600 families through specially designed houses for small ethnic communities, 100 families affected by river erosion and 1000 families affected by cyclone Amphan.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is not only allocating land for the landless people, but also arranging free housing for them. She has also offered various new ideas about solving the economic, social and psychological problems arising out of different forms of poverty," a former secretary said.
He said the Ashrayan project is a glowing example of how housing can be the key vehicle for the welfare of a family and its overall economic and social development.
This new policy for inclusive growth that is poverty eradication has already been well-known as the 'Sheikh Hasina Model.'
The Ashrayan project has six key features including economic self-reliance through increased earning potentials and savings, restoration of dignified livelihoods and social status, empowering women through joint ownership of land and house, human resources development by enhancing skills and competencies through training, extensive afforestation and tree plantation to improve environment quality and ensuring city amenities in villages.
Through the project, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is brining the landless-homeless and displaced people under inclusive development to make the current economic development sustainable in the long run.
The project said housing is the basic needs of human life, which provides shelter, security, social status and privacy of living in a healthy and comfortable environment.
It creates ground for employment and earning, which is the constitutional obligation of a state to provide decent housing for all to ensure improvement of living standard and enrichment of cultural milieu through planned economic development.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is committed to provide housing to every landless-homeless person of the country. To this, the government allocates the required funds for the project from its revenue. However, private funding (corporate companies/private organizations/any other private enterprises) is also encouraged to add to this initiative of the government.
According to the local needs, overall suitability and geographical conditions of the country the project is building the following types of houses that are semi-pucca two room single-unit houses with a sanitary toilet, a kitchen and veranda. Specially designed house for Char (accreted island) areas, specially designed Machang house for hilly areas, specially designed semi-pucca house for hilly areas, specially designed Tong house for small ethnic communities, multi-storey building, pucca barrack, semi-pucca barrack, corrugated iron sheet barrack and corrugated iron sheet sing house.
Under the project, houses are constructed mainly on khas land/land donated to government/resumed land/land purchased near growth centres/markets and with good connectivity as per the policy on land arrangement for rehabilitation of landless and homeless, 2021, with the aim of rehabilitating landless-homeless families under Ashrayan-2 project in every upazila, municipality, coastal areas, char (accreted land) areas and hilly areas of the country.
The government avoided environmentally sensitive and critical areas such as flood flow zones, fertile agricultural land, disconnected or remote areas for construction work.
According to the policy, houses are being built on relatively higher land considering the flood level having good drainage system. In order to keep the environmental and ecological balance and to stop environmental devastation, special attention is being given while undertaking housing project.
Bangladesh celebrated the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu sheikh Mujibur Rahman from March 17 2020 to March 31, 2022. On the occasion the government declared the year as the Mujib Year (Mujib Borsho) and initiated numerous programmes to support the country's marginalized and disadvantaged people as part of the celebration.
The government undertook various schemes to provide housing for all homeless people in the country. Ashrayan-2 project is one of these programmes, under which the government ensured free housing to about 213,000 landless-homeless families on the occasion of Mujib Year alone.