PM to handover 33,000 houses to homeless families as Eid gift

Staff Correspondent: As part of the government’s target to ensure housing for the landless and homeless people, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over about 33,000 houses to landless and homeless families today ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr.
“The government will hand over 32,904 houses to landless and homeless families. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the houses handing over function on Tuesday at a virtual ceremony from her official Ganabhaban residence,” Senior Secretary of Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah told reporters at a press briefing at PMO.

He mentioned that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will connect with Poradia Ashrayan Project under Nagarkanda Upazila of the Faridpur District, Khajurtola Ashrayan Project under Barguna Sadar Upazila of the Barguna District, Khokshabari Ashrayan Project under Sirajganj Sadar Upazila of the Sirajganj District and Hajigaon Ashrayan Project under Anwara Upazila of the Chattogram District.

Prime Minister’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim, Director General (Admin) of the Prime Minister’s Office Mohd Ahsan Kibria Siddiqui and Project Director of the Ashrayan Project Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan, among others, were present at the press briefing.

Hossain Miah informed that 65,674 more single houses are being constructed under the third phase of Ashrayan-2 Project.

He said that at the third phase of Ashrayan-2, the government has raised the cost and brought changes in design to make the houses more sustainable and climate-resilient.

Now the landless and homeless people will get better quality abodes along with two decimals of land, he added.

Tofazzel Hossain Miah informed that the cost against each house has been increased to Tk 259,500 from Tk 1,91,000 to make the houses more durable and spectacular.

He said the government is constructing the houses having strong great-beam, lintel and Reinforced concrete column (RCC) pillar for making the houses more sustainable.

A total of 1,17,329 single houses were constructed under first and second phases of the project while 1,83,003 houses have been allotted till the current fiscal year of 2021-2022, he added.

He said Tk 3,972 crore 7 lakh 5 thousand was allocated for construction of single houses till current fiscal year.

Tofazzel Hossain Miah, however, informed that some 1242 specially designed houses have been allotted for char region under the third phase.

Special design has been made so that the houses can be shifted to other places in view of any natural disaster like cyclone or flood, he added.

Apart from khas land, he said, the government has purchased 155 acres of land for rehabilitating homeless and landless people. Purchasing lands by government is a unique example in the world. Tk 108 crore 91 lakh 20 thousand has been allocated for purchasing lands, he added.

He mentioned that a total of 6891 landless and homeless families will be rehabilitated on the houses to be built at purchased lands.

The government recovered 5512.04 acres of khas land from illegal occupation across the country for constructing houses for the project on the occasion of Mujib Barsho, he added.

He said the approximate market price of the recovered khas land is Tk 2967 crore 9 lakh.

Under the Ashrayan project, a total of 7,08,003 families have been rehabilitated till current fiscal year since 1997. The number of rehabilitated people is 35,40,015 (estimated as five persons in a family).

According to project details, the unique feature of the Ashrayan Project perceived by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is that there is a special connection of housing activities with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Building houses alone can have major footprints in the attainment of various sustainable development goals.

Housing is related to positive changes in the areas of education, health, security, empowerment, women’s empowerment as well as inclusive development.