64 families visit new homes gifted by prime minister

Thirty-six-year-old Shiuli Akhter had lost her husband three years ago. Already economically-disadvantaged, the loss meant that she now had to suddenly bear all the household expenses – from the education of her children to rent to food – from her own meagre income as a garment factory worker.

At long last, however, fortunes have smiled upon Shiuli as she is all set to get a brand new house in Gohailbari Union of Savar as a gift from the prime minister.

She is among the 64 families who went to visit their new house in the Ashrayan project under the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday.

Project stakeholders said some 65,474 houses are now being constructed with a new design and at a higher cost in the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project, which gives homes to the homeless.

The cost of each house has been increased to Tk259,500 from Tk190,000 to make those more durable, said Senior Secretary of Prime Minister's Office Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah.

Besides, portable houses are being given to homeless families staying in chars so that they can move their abode if needed, he said. 

Officials said the Sheikh Hasina-led government launched the Ashrayan project in June 1997 and some 35 lakh people from 708,003 homeless families have so far been rehabilitated under it.

"The cost of each house was increased by Tk69,000 and changes were made in the structural design to make the house more long-lasting," Project Director of Ashrayan-2 Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan said while visiting the houses at the Gohailbari Ashrayan site in Shimulia Union in Savar Upazila of Dhaka district on Wednesday.

"We will hand over the third phase houses as soon as possible," said the project director.

Earlier, a total of 117,329 semi-pucca houses on two decimals of land were provided to the landless and homeless people under Ashrayan-2 project in the first two phases in 2021 on the occasion of Mujib Year.

As of the current fiscal year, Tk3,971 crore has been allocated for construction of the houses to implement Sheikh Hasina's dream to keep no homeless people in the country, according to the Ashrayan factsheet.

Since the Ashrayan houses are constructed on Khas lands and purchased lands, a total of 155 acres of lands were purchased across the country.

The allocation against the purchased lands is Tk109 crore and some 6,891 families are being rehabilitated.

Besides, 155 acres of khas land worth Tk 2,967 crore was recovered from illegal occupants.