With a call to ensure housing for all, the World Habitat Day-2019 was celebrated in Dhaka as elsewhere in the country and the world through holding various programmes on Monday. This year’s theme of the day was fixed as “Frontier Technologies as an innovative tool to transform waste to wealth”.
In the morning, Ministry of Housing and Public works brought out a rally in the capital marking the day. The main rally brought out from the Dhaka Club of Shahbagh ended at Public Works Bhaban premises after parading different roads. Housing and Public Works Minister, SM Rezaul Karim, announced the inauguration of the rally by releasing pigeons and balloons.
During the inauguration, the Minister said, “The country is celebrating the ‘world habitat day’ like other countries in the world. The incumbent government believes in ensuring housing for all, no one will remain homeless. It was the election pledge of Awami League. The government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working to implement the pledge.”
He said, “The government has taken up various projects for higher class, middle class, lower-middle class and even for slum dwellers who have nothing. Not a single person will be homeless in the country. We have been working to implement the constitutional rights of the people.”
The Minister also said, “The main purpose of our housing projects is to ensure modern and environment-friendly residences. We have been working to reach housing facilities for people from capital Dhaka to villages by implementing ‘My Village, My Town’ plan. In the ending speech of the rally, the secretary of Housing and Public Works Ministry, Md Sahid Ullah Khondoker, said, “We will keep modern waste management system in all of our housing projects under the ministry.
We have already started our activities in this regard.” A large number of people including officials of Housing and Public Works Ministry, members of the Coalition for the Urban Poor (CUP), members of REHAB, and members of different housing-related organizations and different media people were present at the rally.
Besides, the day was celebrated in different parts of the country through different programmes including colorful rallies, seminars, publication of supplementary and souvenirs. On the other hand, House Building Research Institute has organised a three-day housing festival at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre, which was started on the day.
It is mentionable that every year, the day is observed on the first Monday of October. In 1985, the United Nations at its General Assembly decided to observe the day. The day has been observed since 1986.