Khandaker Ashraf-Un-Nabi, Manikganj
Manikjan Begum, a 60-year old widow, lost four children out of five along with her husband. She also lost her way to save lives due to deficiency and river erosion.
The devastating Jamuna has swallowed up her residence. At last, she took up shelter at her brother's house at Falsatia village of Shibalaya upazila a few years ago.
Manikjan lives with her only son in a hut. She and her wretched son work in other people's houses for their livelihood.
The Shibalaya upazila administration has extended helping hand to Manikjan Begum recently. She has been included in the list of land and homeless housing project under the Prime Minister's Asrayan-2 project.
As like as the widow Manikjan, 20 more landless and homeless families will be accommodated in the Prime Minister's Shelter Project.
The shelter project has been established on a Khas land in Nadishukha area of Uthuli union of Shibalaya upazila. Two rooms in a pucca house with modern facilities in two decimals land for each family. A kitchen, toilet and deep tube well with electricity also included with the modern home.
The beneficiaries of the project told reporters, “We are very poor people. We never dreamed of a piece of land or a house. May Allah keep those better who help to gif up a place to live us.”
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Shibalaya upazila BM Ruhul Amin Rimon said that 21 homeless families are getting land in Shibalaya under the Prime Minister's Asrayan-2 project for land and housing. The land has already been transferred among the beneficiaries. Work on the project is also in the final stages.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate on January 20 through videoconferencing.
The house has been provided to 21 out of 341people belonging to ‘A’ class in the upazila have been provided this house in the first stage, the UNO informed.
Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) Sudeb Roy said the cost of construction of each house in the project has been estimated at Tk 1,071,000. The houses have been constructed keeping in view the quality of the structure, he added.