RAJSHAHI, March 21, 2023 (BSS) – Some 8,314 more landless and homeless families will get houses as gifts by the generosity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in all eight districts in Rajshahi division tomorrow.
 
They will get the houses in the fourth phase of Ashrayan-2 project to mark the Mujibbarsha. On March 7, 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had announced that none will remain homeless in Bangladesh.
 
Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafaruallah said the Prime Minister will launch distribution of the houses with land ownership documents and keys to the beneficiary families virtually tomorrow (Wednesday).

A total of three districts-- Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj and Joypurhat-- and 32 upazilas are also going to be declared as free of landless and homeless people in the division.

He said there were 31,930 homeless and landless families in 'KA' class in eight districts under the division. Already, 21,762 of those were rehabilitated in the first, second and third phases.
 
In the fourth phase, houses were allocated to 8,314 families. Of them, 1,451 in Rajshahi, 230 in Chapainawabganj, 1,492 in Naogaon, 1,289 in Natore, 1,518 in Pabna, 783 in Sirajganj, 1,412 in Bogura and 139 in Joypurhat districts.
 
Commissioner Zafarullah said 10 upazilas were declared as freed from landless and homeless people in the earlier three phases while in the fourth phase, 32 more upazilas will be declared as free  of  homeless and landless people. The total number of declared upazilas of homeless and landless people now stand at 42, out of 67, he added.

Main thrust of the initiative is to improve the standard of living, ensure basic education, health care and skill development on income generating activities of the beneficiary people.
 
The floors and walls of the houses are brick-built as the roofs were made of corrugated sheet. The houses were made colorfully and eye-catching. The disaster resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government.

At the initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the government has provided them with the houses to alleviate their poverty through giving shelters and human resource development activities.  
 
On behalf of Ashrayan Project-2 of the Prime Minister's Office, the Department of Disaster Management (DDM) has built the houses.
 
Each of the semi-pucca houses with two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet, common space and veranda are built at a cost of Taka 2.59 lakh.
   
Commissioner Zafarullah said the construction of the houses is a laudable step of the government.
 
All the government's line departments, including agriculture, fisheries, livestock, youth development, cooperatives, women affairs and social development, have started expanding their activities to the Ashrayan villages to improve the living and livelihood conditions of the settlers.

Adury Begum, one of the beneficiaries of Jhalpukur Ashrayan Project in Mohanpur Upazila, said she used to live in a thatched house before getting the new one. She had to suffer a lot due to the lack of a house.
 
But, the worst situation has changed now. She along with her husband and two daughters are having happy days in the house.

"I never thought that I would be an owner of a brick-built house," she said with a smiling face, adding that the house gave her three-member family a new life expressing deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her benevolent initiative.
 
Kolpona Kisku, a widow of Dewpur village under Paba upazila, is living in the new house at Kasiadanga Ashrayan Project with her two sons Bishwajit and Durjoy. Bishwajit is now a third year student in Rajshahi University.