RAJSHAHI, April 27, 2023 (BSS)- Some members of transgender community have
got social dignity after driving out their long-lasting negligence and
deprivation in the district.

Housing gifts from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have established their social
dignity side by side with ensuring their permanent address for the first time
of their respective lives.

Five of the beneficiaries are: Rubel Hossain alias Rubina, 34, of Harupuur
village, Samrat alias Sumi Khatun, 40, of Bargachhi village, Asad Ali alias
Sathi Khatun, 32, of Puthiapara village, Sagar Ali alias Sagarika, 37, of
Duary village and Dhiren Sarker alias Nadi Khatun, 29.

Residents under Paba upazila, all of them are now delighted and happy as they
celebrated the Eid festival in their own house for the first time in life
early this week.

They were given the houses with special design of earthquake resilient and
portable in the fourth phase of Ashrayan-2 project to mark the Mujibbarsha
last month thanks to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for the benevolent works.
 
There are vacant places for cultivating vegetables and other crops in the
project area. The rehabilitated people will get scope of improving their
living and livelihood condition through homestead gardening and rearing
cattle, goat and poultry birds.

Rubina, one of the beneficiaries, said she had to live in a roadside 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.

"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 a new life expressing
deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her benevolent initiative.

Another beneficiary Sumi Khatun said she has attained permanent address with
the noble gesture of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
 
"The PM's housing gift has established our social dignity side by side with
boosting the level of confidence as a whole," she added.

Golam Mostofa alias Mohona Khatun, 43, President of Diner Alo Hijra Sangstha,
expressed her deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her
generosity towards arranging permanent addresses for the transgender people.

Assistant Commissioner (Land) Abhijit Sarker told BSS that there was a big
challenge in the field of building houses for the transgender people but the
task has been successful through facing the challenges.
 
Priority was given to widow, divorcee, bagger, persons with disability,
ethnic minority and third gender side by side with other distressed people in
terms of scrutinizing beneficiaries for their proper rehabilitation.
 
Deputy Commissioner Shamim Ahmed said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has
declared the Rajshahi district as freed from landless and homeless people
through handing over homes to 4,321 families.
 
In the fourth phase, houses were allocated to 8,314 families in all eight
districts under Rajshahi division.
 
Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Jafaruallah said there were 31,930
homeless and landless families in 'KA' class in the division. Already, 21,762
of those were rehabilitated in the first, second and third phases.
 
A total of three districts-- Rajshahi, Chapainwabganj and Joypurhat-- and 32
upazilas were declared as freed of landless and homeless people in the
division taking the number to 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 Jafarullah 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.