The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved six projects worth Tk 5,619.46 crore, including a mega project for ensuring houses for the valiant Freedom Fighters involving at Tk 4,122.99 crore.
Under the project title, 'Building Housing for Indigent Freedom Fighters ' (Bir Nibash), a total of 30,000 poor families of freedom fighters (FFs) are to get houses on the occasion of Mujib Year and 50 years of independence as a gift of the Prime Minister.
The approval came at the Ecnec meeting held virtually with Ecnec Chairperson and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair on Tuesday.
The Premier chaired the meeting from her official Ganabhaban residence while ministers, state ministers, secretaries and other officials concerned joined the meeting from the NEC conference room in the city’s Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Briefing reporters after the meeting, Planning Secretary Mohammad Zainul Bari said, “A total of six projects were approved today (Tuesday) involving an estimated cost of Tk 5,619.46 crore.”
“Of the six projects approved today, three are revised and three are new,” he added.
“Of the total project cost, Tk 5519.87 crore will come from the government, Tk 57.52 crore from concerned projects funds while the rest of Tk 42.07 crore as foreign assistance loan,” he mentioned.
The Ministry of Liberation War Affairs will implement the house-building project for Indigent Freedom Fighters. It will be implemented by 2023.
Mamun-al-Rashid, a member of the Physical Infrastructure Division of the Planning Commission, said after implementing the project, the social status of the widows and children of the country’s sick freedom fighters, martyred freedom fighters and late freedom fighters will be developed.
“For this reason, on the occasion of ‘Mujib Year’ and the golden jubilee of the independence, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina wants to construct a total of 30,000 Bir Nibas (houses) as a gift for the FFs’ socio-economic development,” he added.
The heroic freedom fighters, the best children of the nation, risked their lives to liberate the country and jumped into the war of liberation in 1971, but even today many of the freedom fighters could not get a taste of economic and social liberation.
The project titled, “Housing for Indigent Freedom Fighters” has been proposed as part of the government's multidimensional activities to improve the living standards of the heroic freedom fighters who participated in the liberation war.
An official of the ministry said that the government declared 2020 as Mujib Year on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. On this occasion, the government will make a full residence or home to poor freedom fighters across the country.
