Bangladesh
Ashrayan Project Prime Minister Hasina hands over 4,000 more houses to the homeless
Dhaka, March 22: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has handed over 39,365 more houses to the homeless ahead of the holy Eid-ul-Fitr as part of the government's plan to ensure housing for all the landless. The Prime Minister handed over these houses in the fourth phase of the Asharyan-II project in a virtual ceremony from her official residence Ganabhaban on Wednesday.
Earlier, 63,999 houses were distributed among the landless and homeless in the first phase, 53,330 houses in the second phase and 59,133 houses in the third phase. Another 39,365 houses were distributed under the Asharyan-II scheme, bringing the total number to 2,15,827.
At the same time, the Prime Minister declared seven districts and 159 upazilas as homeless and landless areas. As a result, the total number of homeless and landless districts and upazilas stands at 211. Earlier she declared Panchagarh and Magura homeless-landless districts.
Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister Mohammad Tofajzel Hossain Mia presided over the program. A video-documentary on the changing lifestyle of the home recipients was screened at the event.
Under the project, the landless and homeless will get good quality tin shed semi-furnished houses on two percent land.
Besides, the Prime Minister interacted with the beneficiaries of the Nayapara shelter project of Sripur upazila of Gazipur district, Noagaon shelter project of Goainghat upazila of Sylhet and Uttarpar shelter project of Banaripara of Barisal.
Ownership of land is given to both husband and wife and registration and mutation of land is also given in their name. The government is not only constructing project houses on Khas land, land is being purchased from the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust for constructing houses. Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman launched the homeless rehabilitation program in 1972.
Following in the footsteps of Bangabandhu, his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took the initiative to give ownership of houses and land to the homeless and landless through the Asryan scheme in 1997.
A total of 7,71,301 families have been resettled since 1997 under the Asharyan Scheme. The number of resettled people is 38,56,505 (estimated as five persons in a family).
