Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday (March 22, 2023) provided 39,365 more houses with two-decimal lands to landless and homeless families as part of the government's target of ensuring housing for all. With the distribution of the houses under the 4th phase of Ashrayan-2 project, nine districts and 211 upazilas have so far gained the status of landless and homeless family-free status in the country. The premier opened the handing over of the abodes to the homeless families, joining a virtual ceremony at her official residence Ganabhaban. Also read: Ashrayan Project: Govt thoroughly scrutinizing “irregularities” On her behalf, public representatives –ministers, MPs and Upazila chairman-- as well as government officials –Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners and Upaizla Nirbahi Officers-- who were present at different project sites handed over the house certificate and land documents to the beneficiaries of 493 upazilas across the country. Earlier, Hasina provided 63,999 houses in the first phase, 53,330 ones in the second phase and 59,133 in the third phase under the Ashrayan-2, a project of the Prime Minister’s Office. With the distribution of 39,365 houses in the 4th phase, the total number has stood at 215, 827 under the Ashrayan-2 Project. Read More: Islami Bank donates Tk4 crore to Ashrayan Project The premier also declared seven more districts and 159 upazilas as homeless and landless-free areas. Seven districts are Madaripur, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Chuadanga. Earlier, she declared Panchagarh and Magura as homeless-landless free districts and 52 upazilas as homeless-landless free upazilas. With the distribution of 39,365 houses, a total of 196,825 people have got a shelter, getting semi-pucca houses on their own lands. Prime Minister's Principal Secretary Mohammad Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the event. Read More: Erosion: Dumuria’s Ashrayan project houses at risk of washing away Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the rehabilitation programme for homeless people in 1972. Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, her daughter PM Hasina took the initiative to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people through the Ashrayan Project in 1997. Since then, a total of 771,301 families have so far been rehabilitated. The number of rehabilitated people is 38,56,505 (estimated as five persons in a family). Read More: 230 ethnic minority families to get ‘Machang Ghar’ in Bandarban under Ashrayan scheme Some 5,54,597 families were rehabilitated directly under the Ashrayan Project, while 2,16,704 families under different programmes of concerned government offices, including the Land Ministry and Disaster Management and Relief Ministry.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday provided homes to 32,904 homeless and landless families across the country under the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project as her Eid gift. She inaugurated the distribution of semi-pucca abodes, joining a virtual function from her official residence Ganobhaban in the morning. The prime minister exchanged views with beneficiaries from the four cluster housing sites at Nagarkanda Upazila in Faridpur, Barguna Sadar Upazila, Sirajganj Sadar Upazila and Anwara Upazila in Chattogram through a videoconference. Also read: Ashrayan-2: 32,904 families to get homes ahead of Eid The distribution of the houses along with land came as part of the government’s initiative to provide houses to all landless and homeless families on the occasion of “Mujib Year” as the prime minister promised that no one will remain without a home in the country. Each unit has two rooms, a kitchen, a toilet and a veranda costing Tk 259,500 without tax and VAT. The amount is Tk 330,000 with tax and VAT. Alongside the houses, the ownership documents of a two decimal land were given to each family. Earlier, the government had given 63,999 houses on January 23, 2021 in the first phase, while 53,330 houses on June 20, 2021 in the second phase under the Ashrayan-2, a project of the Prime Minister’s Office, during the Mujib Year. In the third phase, approval was given to build 65,674 houses, but 32,904 houses were handed over on Tuesday. Also read: PM’s Ashrayan Project: Homeless Hanufa, thousands more to get own homes on Tuesday The number of specially designed houses for the island areas is 1,242. Portable houses are given to homeless families staying in Char lands so that they can move their houses during soil erosion. Some 5512 acres of Khas lands recovered from the illegal occupation across the country to construct the houses under the Ashrayan-2 project. Besides, the government procured 168.32 acres of land for the Ashrayan project till now which cost Tk 115.33 crore. The Ashrayan Project also rehabilitated 507,244 landless and homeless families from 1997 to December 2022. PMO Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the house distribution function.

Some 50,000 more homeless and landless families are going to get homes in April next as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s gifts in the ‘Mujib Year’.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said the distribution of 66,189 houses among landless and homeless families is a proud moment for the country as it gives people a better hope for the future.

A landless sexagenarian amputee dependent on one son -- a van-puller by trade -- as the 8-member family's lone breadwinner could hardly dream of living out his days in a home to call his own, that too built on a piece of land in his own name.

The government’s allocation of low-cost houses to some 1,480 homeless families of Faridpur under the Asrayan-2 project, as promised by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to mark the Mujib Centennial, has brought smiles all around, among those who usually have very little to smile about.