Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's ‘Ashrayan Project’ under which homes are built for homeless and displaced people in Bangladesh, has played a key role in achieving the goals of poverty eradication, hunger eradication, gender equality and women's empowerment, among others, India’s leading English-language magazine India Today writes.  Her innovative Shelter Scheme, to transform Bangladesh into a developed and prosperous country by 2041, has been able to bring about positive changes in inclusive development by aiming to provide houses for landless, homeless, and marginalized people in 64 districts of the country, writes the magazine in its April 15 issue. Whereas examples of low-interest loans for land purchase are found in several countries around the world, Bangladesh becomes the first country to offer free land ownership with houses to its marginalized citizens in order to bring its backward communities into the mainstream, India Today notes.  Read: 4 lakh coastal people took refuge at Ashrayan homes during Sitrang: PMO “Beneficiaries under this scheme are not only provided with accommodation, but they are also provided with various training, daily allowances during training, and loans after training to make them economically self-reliant,” the report states.  “The scheme includes empowering women by giving them half ownership of land and houses, providing free electricity connection, providing clean water by installing one shallow tube well for every 10 families, and providing food assistance under three months of VGF to the resettled families initially,” it reads.  The India Today report also lauded PM Hasina’s development, known as the "Sheikh Hasina model". The 'Ashrayan Project' is a unique example of how a house can be a major tool for overall family welfare and social development. Read: Ashrayan Project: Govt thoroughly scrutinizing “irregularities” In its report, India Today highlighted the experience of two beneficiaries of the project. For 30 long years, Moksedul, a brick kiln labourer, waited for a house that he could call his own.  His long-held desire has been granted, as he has been assigned a semi-furnished house in his own name. Moksedul told India Today that he can live very well with his family now.  Meanwhile, sixty-five-year-old Piara Begum is a resident of Patharghata in Barguna who lost her family home to the river thirty years ago.  Read: No laxity in costruction of Ashrayan houses to be tolerated: Project Director She used to live with her husband on the banks of the river until he died of cancer 16 years ago. “Finally, Piara Begum's misery has come to an end after she is allotted a house built by the Bangladesh government on the occasion of ‘Mujib centenary’ under the ‘Ashrayan' scheme.” India Today writes.  “I have been suffering all my life. I never dreamed of a house. Now, I have got a semi-furnished house with land. The prime minister has given me a house. I am very happy. As long as I live, I will pray for the prime minister,” she told India Today. The “Ashrayan” project was undertaken in 1997 under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. And since its inception, approximately 5,07,244 landless and homeless families have been rehabilitated at various stages under this shelter initiative.  Read More: I’m everyone’s PM irrespective of party affiliation, says Hasina Through this initiative, the society's backward community has been given access to semi-finished housing and two decimals of land.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said that every homeless person irrespective of party affiliation and opinion will get a home in Bangladesh declaring, she is “everyone’s prime minister.” "The country belongs to all of us. I am the prime minister of Bangladesh. It is my responsibility to look after every person in Bangladesh," she said. She said that there might be difference in opinion or way or ideology among the people, but “I treat every human being as human.” "I want that every person will have a beautiful life. That is the lesson of my father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman," she said. She urged all including other political parties irrespective of their party affiliation and opinion to provide names of landless and homeless people to the government so that it could manage houses for them. "I am asking all public servants and all political parties to provide information about any landless and homeless people so that we could give them a house and an address," she said. "We will build house for them, give them an address and arrange livelihood for them,” she reaffirmed. Read:No one without land and home in Panchagarh and Magura districts, declares PM Hasina The PM said this while distributing a total of 26,229 houses among the landless families across the country under the Ashrayan-2  Project joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. She also declared Panchagarh and Magura as the country’s first two districts having no landless and homeless people in a landmark achievement under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s home-to-everyone Ashrayan project. She announced that a total of 52 upazilas of different districts, including all the nine upazilas of Panchagarh and Magura, as having no landless and homeless families as part of the government’s commitment made on the occasion of the Mujib Year to ensure shelter for all the homeless in the country. The PM said that it is the responsibility of the beneficiaries to save the houses that has been given to them.  She asked them to develop their respective lives through professional training that the government is providing to them and generate their incomes. "We want that you will procure your own land in the coming future and build houses on those," she said. Read: PM reiterates call to practice austerity in all spheres of life Regarding the houses given to the homeless and landless people, she said, “It is not mere a house, it’s a shelter, address and future of your family and your next generation.”  Hasina regretted that the government is facing problems to procure fertilizer and food because of the coronavirus pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war subsequent US sanctions on Russia. "Inflation has shot up worldwide, not only in Bangladesh. Prices of essentials have been increased, scarcity of food is going on across the globe and even the developed countries are feeling the heat," she said. She mentioned that even the developed countries are maintaining austerity in power and fuel.  "We are running our country quite well, but we have to be cautious from now on. We have taken cautionary measurers," she added. She urged all to save electricity, water, fuel and use every inch of their lands for food production.  She once again urged the people not to leave an inch of arable land uncultivated. “Just do it so that you could produce your own food. We will not beg to anyone," she said. Talking about natural calamities like flood, she said that Bangladesh is the country of natural disasters and people of the country have to live with that.   She asked all to remain alert as there might be a flood in the southern region during this monsoon season.  She again put emphasis on personal savings, food or money, to face any sort of calamities in the days ahead.  "We as the government are always beside you, if you remain alert, Inshallah we shall overcome any sort of calamities," she said. Ashrayan-2 Project Director Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan gave a power point presentation on the overall scenario of the project. A documentary on the project was also screened. Later, the prime minister talked to several beneficiaries in Panchagarh, Magura, Bagerhat, Laxmipur and Mymensing through video conferencing. 

Panchagarh and Magura were on Thursday officially declared as the country’s first two districts having no landless and homeless people in a landmark achievement under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s home-to-everyone Ashrayan project. The premier made the announcement while distributing of 26,229 houses among the landless families across the country joining virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban. “We are very much happy that all upazilas of the two districts are now fully free from landless and homeless people,” she said. “This success has been achieved due to our initiative.” Apart from these, 43 other upazilas of the country’s different districts also got the same status. “This is a big achievement. I hope that all districts and upazilas of Bangladesh will one day be free from landless and homeless people,” Hasina said. “Every person in the country will have a house and an address.” In northern Panchagarh, the government found 4,850 landless-and-homeless people and constructed abodes for all of them, said Md Jahirul Islam, the district’s deputy commissioner. In western Magura district houses have been built for 678 families, official sources said. Both the districts are agro-based. Bangladesh has a total of 64 districts. Read: Grade-3 student Jannat now dreams to be a doctor getting Ashrayan house A total of 52 upazilas of different districts, including all the nine upazilas of Panchagarh and Magura, was also announced as having no landless and homeless families as part of the government’s commitment made on the occasion of the Mujib Year to ensure shelter for all the homeless in the country. A total of 19,780 landless families were rehabilitated in these 52 upazilas, officials involved with the project said. They said if anyone is found landless in the two districts and 52 upazilas, the person will immediately be given a house with land. The local administration has already been given an order in this regard. The 52 upazilas are Nawabganj in Dhaka; Madaripur Sadar; Damudya in Shariatpur; Katiadi in Kishoreganj; Gopalpur in Tangail; Ghior and Saturia in Manikganj; Kalukhali in Rajbari; Nagarkanda in Faridpur; Madan in Netrokona; Bhaluka, Nandail, Phulpur and Fulbaria in Mymensingh; Bakshiganj in Jamalpur; Patiya, Karnaphuli, Satkania and Lohagara in Chattogram; Raipur and Ramganj in Laxmipur; Feni Sadar, Chhagalnaiya, Fulgazi and Parshuram in Feni; Gobindaganj in Gaibandha; Atwari, Panchagarh Sadar, Debiganj, Tetulia and Boda in Panchagarh; Nawabganj in Dinajpur; Baliadangi in Thakurgaon; Dimla in Nilphamari; Raninagar in Naogaon; Panchbibi in Joypurhat; Mohonpur, Charghat and Bagha in Rajshahi; Nandigram and Dupchanchia in Bogura; Bagatipara in Natore; Ishwardi in Pabna; Shibganj in Chapainawabganj; Harinakundu in Jhenaidah; Tala in Satkhira; Magura Sadar, Sreepur, Mohammadpur and Shalikha in Magura; Kathalia in Jhalakathi and Dashmina in Patuakhali.

Jannat Khatun, a student of grade-3, now wants to be a doctor after getting a permanent abode a few months ago under Ashrayan-2 project at Kagoldighi village in Boda Upazila here. Jannat’s family used to lead a miserable life in a hut on Khasland there. Her father Rabiul Islam, a day labourer, was unable to make a permanent shelter for their four-member family. “Now we’re in a better condition. We feel better staying in the semi-pucca house,” she said on Wednesday.   Noting that she would continue her study, the smart girl said, “I want to be a doctor. I will serve the people.” Her lone brother is a student of grade-I. Visiting her house, two portraits of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina alongside her childhood image were seen on the wall of their new house. Asked who displayed the portrait, Jannat replied that she kept these on the wall. “I thank the Prime Minister. She gave us the house.”   A total of 60 landless families got permanent houses in the same village under Ashrayan-2 project of the Prime Minister’s Office. Read: Ashrayan-2: 32,904 families to get homes ahead of Eid Like them, 26,229 landless families are getting the houses as part of the third phase of Ashrayan-2 scheme on Thursday. PM Hasina will inaugurate the distribution of 26,229 more houses among the landless families across the country through a virtual function in the morning. Earlier, more than 1.5 lakh houses were distributed among the landless families under the housing scheme as part of the government’s commitment made on the occasion of the Mujib Year to ensure shelter for all the homeless in the country. In the function, the premier will also announce Panchagarh and Magura as the landless-homeless-free districts as all the landless families are being rehabilitated with modern abodes there. A total of 52 upazilas of different districts, including all the eight upazilas of Panchagarh and Magura, will also be announced as having no landless and homeless families. Some 19,780 landless families were rehabilitated in the 52 upazilas. Deputy Commissioner of Panchagarh Md Jahirul Islam on Wednesday said they found a total of 4,850 landless-homeless families in the district. “We’ve constructed houses for all 4,850 families. More than 15,159 landless people are getting accommodation in the houses,” he said. The DC said they sought applications from the landless people through loud speakers at different public places. “If anyone is found landless now, we will provide a house immediately,” he said. Read: Ashrayan-2: Over 53,000 houses set to be distributed in June The 52 landless-free upazilas are Nawabganj in Dhaka; Madaripur Sadar; Damudya in Shariatpur; Katiadi in Kishoreganj; Gopalpur in Tangail; Ghior and Saturia in Manikganj; Kalukhali in Rajbari; Nagarkanda in Faridpur; Madan in Netrokona; Bhaluka, Nandail, Phulpur and Fulbaria in Mymensingh; Bakshiganj in Jamalpur; Patiya, Karnaphuli, Satkania and Lohagara in Chattogram; Raipur and Ramganj in Laxmipur; Feni Sadar, Chhagalnaiya, Fulgazi and Parshuram in Feni; Gobindaganj in Gaibandha; Atwari, Panchagarh Sadar, Debiganj, Tetulia and Boda in Panchagarh; Nawabganj in Dinajpur; Baliadangi in Thakurgaon; Dimla in Nilphamari; Raninagar in Naogaon; Panchbibi in Joypurhat; Mohonpur, Charghat and Bagha in Rajshahi; Nandigram and Dupchanchia in Bogura; Bagatipara in Natore; Ishwardi in Pabna; Shibganj in Chapainawabganj; Harinakundu in Jhenaidah; Tala in Satkhira; Magura Sadar, Sreepur, Mohammadpur and Shalikha in Magura; Kathalia in Jhalakathi and Dashmina in Patuakhali. In the third phase of Ashrayan-2 project, some 67,800 houses are being provided among landless and homeless families. Of these, 32,904 houses were handed over on April 26 last, 26,229 ones will be handed over on Thursday and the construction of 8,667 other houses is still underway. In the first two phases, 117,329 semi-pucca houses along with two decimal lands were distributed among the homeless people on January 23, 2021 and June 20, 2021 on the occasion of the Mujib Year marking the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. The government recovered some 5,512 acres of Khas lands to construct houses for homeless people throughout the country and approximate market value of these lands is Tk 2,967 crore.   Besides, the government procured 191.79 acres of lands at cost of Tk 134 crore for construction of houses under the Ashrayan-2 project. And 8,462 landless families have so far been rehabilitated on the procured lands.

The government’s groundbreaking Ashrayan Project has put a smile on yet another face - this time it is to Shefali Das, a homemaker from Rampal in Bagerhat. Now in her 60s, Shefali, for the first time, can proudly flaunt the keys to a house of her own - the ultimate earthly possession for any homemaker - after she was selected as one of the recipients of the low-cost homes at the Gauramva Ashrayan Project in Rampal. Describing her woes, the old woman said she was born in her landless father's house over 60 years ago. She also married a landless person. Even after 40 years of conjugal life, Shefali could never have a permanent address. Now, her long-cherished dream has come true under the second phase of the Ashrayan-3 project. Read: Ecnec clears a Tk 1092-cr project to widen Cox’s Bazar Marine Drive Both Shefali and her husband are naturally very pleased to be getting the well-equipped home as a gift from the prime minister. They plan to live there with their three daughters. The Ashrayan Project in Rampal has been like a godsend for the many landless and homeless people in the district. The stories of Beauty Sarkar, Taslima Begum, Sabera Begum, Phuljan Begum, Afroza Begum, Nirod Das, Ibrahim Hawladar, and Yunus Talukder - just some of the other names on the list of recipients in Rampal. None of them can stop singing his praises  

Work to construct homes for the underprivileged under Prime Minister's Ashrayan Project in Tentulia upazila of Panchagarh had to be halted almost as soon as it got underway on Tuesday, following a late intervention by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) claiming ownership over the land. Construction of the homes for the landless, on a stretch of land along the highway adjacent to Dahuk river in Buraburi union of Tentulia, was inaugurated on Tuesday. Also read: 3rd phase of Ashrayan-2: some 65,474 families to get sustainable houses Tentulia Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shohag Chandra Saha said the construction alongside rehabilitation activities for 450 landless people of Tentulia Upazila started in the 2021-22 fiscal, under the special initiative of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's Ashrayan Project-2. The local administration had worked to allocate the listed government-owned lands for the initiative, UNO Shohag said. He also said the land of Buraburi Union is listed at 'No. 1 on the government’s ledger'. Accordingly work began Tuesday morning to build houses initially for 35 landless people. But shortly after the inauguration, BGB intervened and put a halt on the work, according to the UNO. BGB 18 Battalion's Acting Commander Major Abu Saleh Ahmed apparently claimed that the land had been bought by the BGB Welfare Trust. BGB members on guard also blocked the entry of vehicles carrying bricks for construction work. That governmental land was not acquired by BGB or BGB Welfare Trust. BGB Welfare Trust is a private organization that has occupied government’s land, said the UNO Shohag. “We did not expect a government agency’s objection to building homes for the landless," he said, adding that the work has been suspended for the time being. “We sought the cooperation of BGB in implementing this initiative of the Prime Minister. Hopefully after overcoming all the complications, we will be able to start working again soon.” Also read: 10,000 erosion-hit families to get Ashrayan-style homes and land: Enamur Rahman Chairman of Buraburi Union Tareq Hossain said some six houses had already been built on the land earlier. “The BGB Welfare Trust's land is separate. Now after suspending work they are talking about coordination,” he added. Meanwhile, Major Abu Saleh Ahmed, the BGB acting commander who voiced the BGB's claim, refused to answer questions about the suspension of the Ashrayan project or ownership of the land in question when confronted by reporters.

A union parishad chairman in Sirajganj has been suspended  for allegedly taking money from people on the pretext of giving them houses under the Ashrayan project in Tarash upazila. Tarash UNO Mezbaul Karim told UNB on Friday that TM Abdullah Baki, chairman of Saguna UP-3 in Sirajganj, was issued the suspension letter on August 18. Read:Patuakhali child marriage: case filed against UP chairman and five others According to the letter, the action was initiated taken against the UP chairman under Section 34 (4)(b) of the Local Government (Union Parishad) Act, 2009. The letter was signed by the deputy secretary of the UP-1 branch of the local government department, Abu Jafar Ripon. However, when contacted, Abdullah said that he was yet to receive the suspension letter.

Unidentified youths broke two pillars of a house being built under the government’s Ashrayan project in Madhukhali upazila of Faridpur on Sunday night telling the beneficiary that these were not properly built.   The incident happened in Kalinagar area's Ashrayan project in ward-2 of Megmachi union in the upazila, officials said. Also read: Ashrayan Project: Govt thoroughly scrutinizing “irregularities” The perpetrators smashed two pillars of one of the five under construction houses of the project around 8:30pm. One of the beneficiaries of the house, Akhi Mandal said, some four or five youths came and said they were sent from Faridpur to dismantle the house as those were not properly built. “They broke the pillars saying they will rebuild them again”, she said. On Monday morning Rakhi informed the incident to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md. Mostafa Monwar. Also read: No laxity in costruction of Ashrayan houses to be tolerated: Project Director The UNO said, in ward no 2 five houses were being built under the government’s Ashrayan Project 1 and 2, including Rakhi’s house. He said, higher authorities were informed about the incident and a complaint will be filed with the police station in this regard. Faridpur district’s Deputy Commissioner Atul Sarkar said, some evil quarters might have done this to tarnish government’s image. Legal action will be taken in this regard after proper investigation, he said. Officer-in-Charge of Madhukhali police station, Rathindranath Tarafdar said, “We have visited the spot and are investigating the matter”.

 The government is examining on a case-by-case basis the alleged irregularities and flaws in building houses under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s dream Asrayan Project of providing free homes to the landless and homeless people.“We will attend each and every case properly, nothing will leave unattended,” project director M Mahbub Hossain told journalists after on-the-spot inspection of a project site at Burigari Khanpur of Sherpur upazila under Bogura district on Saturday. He said that there might be unintentional flaws while implementing any project.“We are looking into the matter, the allegations that came in the media …. whether those were intentional or unintentional,” he said. Also read: No laxity in costruction of Ashrayan houses to be tolerated: Project Director Noting that the landless and homeless families are getting free houses and lands under the Ashrayan-2 project, he said it is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s “model for inclusive development.”He said that the upazila administration and public representatives worked together for this gigantic task to provide 118,380 houses (to landless and homeless families) during this corona period.The PMO has initiated the inspection as some newly constructed houses were damaged with the advent of monsoon and news of alleged irregularities in some places surfaced.In two phases the government this year has provided some 118,380  two-room tin-shed pucca houses to the landless and homeless families as gifts of the prime minister marking the Mujib Year.It also has a plan to provide one lakh more houses to homeless families under the Ashrayan-3 project that is run by the PMO in the Mujib Year. Also read: ‘Massive corruption’ in building houses as PM’s gift: BNPResponding to a question, he said that already five teams are out to inspect the alleged irregularities or flaws in different parts of the country.“We are finding out the problems and taking steps accordingly,” he said.The project director mentioned that from the Prime Minister Office directives have already been given to form technical committees in respective District Administration and Upazila Administration.“Through these committees every damaged house will be inspected for immediate repair,” he added.Regarding the partially-damaged seven houses in Burigari Khanpur, Mahbub Hossain said that 22 houses were built here beside a canal and of them toilets and kitchens of seven houses were damaged due to a landslide in heavy rain.In this regard he said that there were RCC pillars, but those could not sustain.He also mentioned that the government is placing GO bags for avoiding further landslides while there will be a drainage system for quick outflow of rain water.Replying to a question about selecting the spot for Asrayan Project he said that the instruction was to select Khash land which remained dry during 1988 floods.“All houses of the Ashrayan Project were built on khash land. Some of the sites are not above the flat agricultural lands. Some of the sites are at the same level of the agricultural lands,” he said.As a result, he mentioned that in some places there had been waterlogging due to heavy rain.“Local administration has taken steps to remove the water and renovate the houses,” he said.Five teams of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Friday started their visits to inspect the quality and design of Ashrayan houses in different parts of the country.Despite of Covid-19 lockdown, the PMO teams will conduct their grassroots visits for the next few days to inspect the houses that have already been constructed or are under construction under the Ashrayan-2 Project.The visiting teams will have to prepare reports with the use of pictures following their inspection.

BNP on Saturday alleged that there has been ‘massive corruption’ in the construction of houses meant for landless people as the Prime Minister’s gift under the Ashrayan Project as many of those have collapsed partially or developed cracks in many places. “There’ve been limitless corruption, looting, waywardness and politicisation in the construction of the houses for the landless poor, which’s being branded as a gift of the Prime Minister by beating drums,” said party organising secretary Syed Emran Saleh Prince. Speaking at a press conference at BNP’s Nayapaltan central office, he also said the way those houses are seen collapsing before or after the handover proves that ‘massive plundering’ in the name of development is going on in the country. “A grand festival of looting is on as Bangladesh seems to have become a paradise of unlimited graft.” The BNP leader demanded the government immediately bring under justice those involved in huge corruption, plundering and extortion in the Ashrayan Project. He also demanded reconstruction of the damaged houses of the poor and landless people. Prince said the Ashrayan Project under which the houses were built to give to the homeless, landless, and poor people as the Prime Minister's gift of the Mujib Year was “full of irregularities and corruption” from the very beginning. “The names of the poor were included in the allocation list by taking money from them. “Even, the names of established businessmen have been there in the list in exchange for money. Pro-Awami UP chairman and members, presidents and general secretaries of the Awami League and their affiliated upazila and union committees were given the houses keeping quotas for them,” he said. The BNP leader also alleged that though the houses were built with the money allocated by the government, the ruling party men indulged in extortion and took money from the poor in the name of purchasing the building materials, transportation cost and wages of construction workers. The poor people had to give the money in the hope of getting houses.” Besides, he said, the brick, sand, cement, rod and other materials were bought from ruling party men at exorbitant prices. “But they supplied substandard construction materials. Though 40 bags of cement were allocated per house, only 10-12 bags were used, and the remaining were done with sand and soil. That’s why the houses now turned vulnerable.”  Prince said the ministers and the ruling party leaders are now talking about zero tolerance towards those involved in corruption, irregularities and looting in the construction of the houses. “But they have unknowingly forgotten that the huge corruption they are committing by giving shelter to the corrupt and looters…the country has now turned into a sanctuary for the corrupt.” About the loss of huge lives in a factory fire at Rupganj in Narayanganj, he said the incident happened due to negligence and indifference of the factory owner who is an Awami League leader. “He must be brought to justice.” The BNP leader demanded the government rehabilitate the victims’ families and give them adequate compensations.