Another 12 districts and 123 upazilas are set to be declared having no homeless and landless people as 22,101 families are getting abodes under Ashrayan-2 project on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will make the announcement and open the distribution of the semi-pucca houses to the homeless and landless families through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.
“With the 12 districts and 123 upazilas, a total of 21 districts and 334 upazilas throughout the country are becoming as homeless and landless family-free ones on that day,” said PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah at a press conference in the Prime Minister’s Office on Monday.
He said the premier will hand over the keys of 22,101 houses along with the ownership documents of a two-decimal of lands to the families. Some 115,000 people will be rehabilitated in the houses on that day, he said.
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The principal secretary said the PM has so far given houses to a total of 8,29,607 families under Ashrayan projects and other programmes. Some 4,148,035 people have been rehabilitated in the houses, he added.
Of them, 2,778,085 people (of 555,617 families) have rehabilitated only under the Ashrayan project, run by the Prime Minister's Office (since 1997 to July 2023), he said.
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Noting that some 4,148,035 people were given houses, he said, “It’s a rare instance in the world as there is no other such programme that the landless people are being given free houses and lands.”
Tofazzel said not only houses and lands are given, but also free electricity connections are given, the water supply is arranged, and other facilities are ensured for them. “So, there is no such a massive (rehabilitation) programme in any other country of the world. In this case, Bangladesh is unique,” he said.
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He said the rate of extreme poor and floating people has come down significantly due to the rehabilitation through providing the landless people with houses.
Earlier, Hasina handed over the houses to the landless and homeless families on five occasions since Mujib Year.
The PM will be connected with the beneficiaries and local people of three places while distributing the houses on the sixth occasion on Wednesday.
The three places are Barasat Sonar Bangla Palli Ashrayan Project site in Terokhada Upazila under Khulna, Chakla Ashrayan-2 project site in Bera Upazila under Pabna, and Amanullahpur Ashrayan project site in Begumganj Upazila under Noakhali district.
The 12 districts that will earn the distinction of becoming free of landless and homeless families are Manikganj, Rajbari, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Kushtia, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.
The 123 upazilas include Gosairhat in Shariatpur district; Kuliarchar, Nikli, Hossainpur, Bajitpur, Mithamoin and Karimganj in Kishoreganj; Ghatail, Nagarpur, Mirzapur, Kalihati and Basail in Tangail; Shibaloy, Harirampur and Sadar in Manikganj; Sreenagar and Tongibari in Munshiganj; Goalanda in Rajbari; Sonargaon, Rupganj, Araihazar and Sadar in Narayanganj; Boalmari, Charbhadrasan, Bhanga and Sadar in Faridpur; Iswarganj, Haluaghat, Dhobaura, Gafargaon, Muktagacha and Sadar in Mymensingh; Sreebardi and Sadar in Sherpur; Islampur and Sarishabari in Jamalpur; Pekua, Ukhia and Teknaf in Cox’s Bazar; Hathazari and Anwara in Chattogram; Matlab Dakkhin and Kachua in Chandpur; Begumganj, Sonaimuri, Chatkhil, Senbug and Sadar in Noakhali; Nangalkot, Barura, Homna, Titas, Meghna, Meghna and Burichang in Cumilla; Daganbhuiyan in Feni, Palashbari in Gaibandha; Badarganj in Rangpur; Bochaganj, Birganj, Chirirbandar, Parbatipur, Fulbari, Birampur, Hakimpur, Ghoraghat and Sadar in Dinajpur.
The other upazilas are Pirganj, Ranisankail and Sadar in Thakurgaon; Domar and Jaldhaka in Nilphamari; Atrai, Badalgachi, Manda, Niamatpur, Porsha, Sapahar and Sadar in Naogaon; Tarash, Shahjadpur and Kamarkhanda in Sirajganj; Gabtoli, Adamdighi and Sadar in Bogura; Singra, Naldanga and Sadar in Natore; Chatmohar, Bera, Faridpur, Bhangura and Sujanagar in Pabna; Jhenaidah Sadar; Kaliganj and Sadar in Satkhira; Jashore Sadar in Jashore; Khoksha in Kushtia; Dighalia in Khulna; Kalia in Narail; Pirojpur Sadar in Pirojpur; Jhalakathi Sadar; Kalapara and Galachipa in Patuakhali; Patharghata, Betagi, Taltali in Barguna; Beanibazar, Companiganj,Golapganj, Gowainghat and Zakiganj in Sylhet; Sreemangal, Moulvibazar Sadar, Kulaura, Barlekha and Juri in Moulvibazar; Shayestaganj, Bahubal, Lakhai, Habiganj Sadar and Madhabpur in Habiganj; and Shalla and Dharmapasha in Sunamganj.
Earlier, the premier declared nine districts – Panchagarh, Magura, Madaripur, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Chuadanga – as landless and homeless people-free districts on two occasions.