By Maloy Kumar Dutta FARIDPUR, April 26, 2022 (BSS) - Physically challenged Zakir Hossain, 45, a father of two off springs, had no home of his own. He used to live in houses of others or his relatives in a small makeshift room at Kaichail union under Nagarkanda upazila in the district. He had no permanent shelter of his own for living.  
 
 "I used to live in houses of others since my childhood. Sometimes owners of house forced us out from their residences. We had to take shelter to other places. But this time, our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is giving us a permanent shelter," Zakir told BSS in an interview.
 
 Dream of owning a home of 32,904 more homeless and landless families has turned into a reality as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today virtually handed over houses to them at the government expenses, totalling the number of beneficiaries at 150,233.
 
Zakir is one of the beneficiaries who received a tin-shed semi-pucca two-room house on two decimal lands at Poradia Balia Ashrayan Project which was built on the bank of river Kumar at Kaichail union under Nagarkanda upazila in the district. 
 
 "Getting a permanent shelter of my own is the biggest gift in my life on the occasion of the Eid. Now I can celebrate this Eid in my own house," he said holding of two sketches of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in his hand. Zakir, who has hobby to draw picture, drew the sketches.
  

 Septuagenarian Tulshi Rani, a mother of four daughters and a son, also got a roof above their heads at the Poradia Balia Ashrayan Project which offered shelter to 110 homeless and landless families. Her husband Manmoto, a member of Hindu 'Jele' community, was a fisherman. 

They used to stay in their relative's house. Now, he has been ill for several years and couldn't earn. His only wage-earning son also left them.

 Tulshi Rani and her husband used to live in their daughter's in-laws's residence. "We were leading a very miserable life as we have no home for our own. We didn't get any dignity as we had to stay in my daughter's in-laws house. Now we are very happy as we got a shelter of our own.
 
 Another beneficiary Sirina Begum, 60, has also almost same story of life. She became widow for long ago. "I lost my husband for long ago. After losing my husband, I led a very distressed life. I also lost my home in river erosion. I had no shelter. Now I got a home of my own. I am very happy. I am praying for our Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," she said. 
 
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today virtually distributed the deeds and keys of the newly constructed tin-shed semi-pucca two-room houses on two decimals of land to the beneficiaries under the third phase of Ashrayan-2 Project as her gift ahead of the Eid-ul-Fitr.
 
She joined the programme via video conference from her official Ganabhaban residence here.
 
The prime minister also exchanged views with some beneficiaries and other stakeholders connecting to four places of the four districts.
 
The four places are: Poradia Balia Ashrayan Project under Nagarkanda Upazila in Faridpur district, Khajurtola Ashrayan Project under Barguna Sadar Upazila in Barguna district, Khokshabari Ashrayan Project under Sirajganj Sadar Upazila in Sirajganj district and Hajigaon Ashrayan Project under Anwara Upazila in Chattogram district.
 
Expressing the feelings of getting houses, some beneficiaries thanked the prime minister for providing them home and thus secure their lives.
 
They prayed for long life of Sheikh Hasina and wanted her to see as the Prime Minister time and again, calling her as the touchstone of the development.
 
During the programme, Deputy Commissioner of Faridpur Atul Sarker said 110 houses have been distributed at Poradia Balia Ashrayan Project under Nagarkanda upazila.

 He said the government has a target to provide houses to 4,994 landless and homeless families in three phases in the district under the Ashrayan-2 Project. 

In first phase, 2035 families were given houses while 1,572 families got shelters in the second phase in the district, he said, adding that keys of 696 houses were handed over to homeless and landless families as Eid gifts today under the third phase.

 A total of 1,387 families will get shelters under the third phase, he mentioned. 

Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah moderated the function while PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim and Project Director of Ashrayan-2 Project Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan were present at Ganabhaban end.

Dhaka Divisional Commissioner Md Khalilur Rahman, Dhaka Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Habibur Rahman, Prime Minister's Deputy Press Secretary K M Shakhawat Moon were present from Faridpur end.

A video documentary was also screened on how the landless and homeless people have developed their life standard after getting benefits that included training and money alongside the houses under the Ashrayan-2 Project.

 Earlier, Senior Secretary of Prime Minister's Office (PMO) Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah at a press briefing said ownership of land and house is being given in the joint names of husband and wife of landless, homeless, miserable and uprooted families under the project.

 He said 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 tin-shed semi-pucca houses on two decimals of land, he added.

 Tofazzel Hossain said the cost against each house has been increased to Taka 2,59,500 from Taka 1,91,000 to make the houses more sustainable.

 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.

  According to the project details, 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.

 On January 23 in 2021, 63,999 homeless and landless families received houses under the first phase and 53,330 families got a roof over their heads under second phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project on June 20 last year.