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.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the distribution of houses among 32,904 landless and homeless families across the country under the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project on Tuesday ahead of Eid-Ul-Fitr. According to sources at the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the Prime Minister will join the inauguration programme virtually from her official residence Ganobhaban at 11am. She will be connected virtually with Kaichail union of Nagarkanda under Faridpur district, Gourichonna union of Barguna Sadar under Barguna district, Khokshabari union of Sirajganj Sadar under Sirajganj district and Barkhain union of Anwara Upazila under Chattogram district. This will be part of the government’s initiative to provide houses to all landless and homeless families on the occasion of “Mujib Borsho” as the Prime Minister has mentioned several times that no one in the country will remain without a home. Also read: Ashrayan-2: 59 Bede families dream of a new life with permanent homes PMO Senior Secretary Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah in a press briefing held at the PMO said that each unit has two rooms, a kitchen, a toilet and a veranda costing Tk 2,59,500 without tax and VAT. “The amount is Tk 3,30,000 with tax and VAT,” he said. Alongside the houses, the ownership documents of a two decimal land will be given to each family. In the first phase the government has given 63,999 houses on January 23, 2021 while 53,330 houses on June 20, 2021. In the third phase approval has been given to build 65,674 houses while 32,904 houses will be handed over on Tuesday. The number of allocated single houses in 2021-22 fiscal is 1,83,003 worth Tk 3972.07 crore. The number of specially designed houses for the island areas is 1242. Portable houses are given to homeless families staying in Char lands so that they can move their houses during soil erosion. The PMO senior secretary said that the recovered Khas lands from the illegal occupation across the country is 5512.04 acres with an estimated price of Tk 2967.09 crore. The government purchased 168.32 acres of land for the Ashrayan project till now which cost Tk 115.33 crore. The Ashrayan Project also rehabilitated 5,07,244 landless and homeless families from 1997 to December 2022. “The houses and lands are being given to the poor families as part of the government’s aim to ensure that none will remain homeless,” the PMO senior Secretary said. There is no such instance in the world where so many houses with land ownership are provided to the homeless families at a time, he said. “The Prime Minister is setting the example in the world by giving houses to so many homeless families,” he said. None will remain homeless in the country, he quoted the Prime Minister as saying. Also read: 3rd phase of Ashrayan-2: some 65,474 families to get sustainable houses So, the government will continue allocating funds for houses for the homeless families until their right of accommodation is ensured, he added. Describing Ashrayan project as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s model for inclusive development, Md. Tofazzel Hossain Miah said, “The living standard of a person improves radically (after getting a permanent house). It will help implement eight targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).”

“If we get a permanent shelter, we will send our two sons to school,” said Rongila, a Bede woman. The Bede, a gypsy-like ethnic community is among the most underprivileged and marginalised groups in the country. Rongila is a mother of two sons – 5-year old Akash and 3-year old Robiul.  Her husband, Alauddin, is a monkey and snake charmer. The four-member Bede family now lives in a ‘Jhupri Ghor’ (a very tiny traditional makeshift abode of Water Gypsy) at Badedihi village under Barabazar Union in Kaliganj upazila of Jhenaidah district as do other Bede families. The Bede woman has recently shared her dream with this correspondent as her family is going to get a permanent house with a two-decimal land as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Read: BGB's intervention halts Ashrayan project work in Panchagarh Like her family, a total of 59 Bede families – 31 families from Badedihi village and 28 families from Kashipur village under Kaliganj municipality-- are going to get the houses in the Ashrayan’s largest Bede housing site adjacent to Majdia Baor at Jagannathpur village under Barabazar Union in Kaliganj. The Bede families are now  dreaming for better life as the house construction works  continue on the 2-acre housing site under Ashrayan-2 project of the Prime Minister’s Office.   “We’ve no dignity and no hope for life,” said Rongila, adding that her family leads a poor life with nominal incomes earned by her and her husband.

 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.

Some 53,500 more homeless and landless families are going to get semi-pucca houses in June under the Ashrayan-2 project. Earlier in January, some 70,000 homeless and landless families received tin-shed homes along with two decimals of land  under the special project run out of the Prime Minister's Office in the Mujib Year. Now the second phase of distribution of the semi-pucca houses will start early June, according to the plan taken in a meeting held with PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus in the chair Monday. Also read: Hasina inaugurates home distribution under Ashrayan-2 Project The meeting was held at the Prime Minister’s Office to review the progress over the ongoing construction of houses under the Ashrayan-2 project.   PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah also spoke at the meeting, while Project Director of Ashrayan-2 Md Mahbub Hossain made a power-point presentation. All divisional commissioners, deputy commissioners, upazila nirbahi officers (UNO) were virtually connected with the meeting. In the meeting, the field-level administration was directed to complete the construction of houses within the stipulated time maintaining the quality in works without any deviation. Alongside expediting the present construction works, the field officials were also asked to take preparations to construct another 125,000 houses for homeless people in the next year. The Principal Secretary directed the field officials not to compromise the quality of the houses. “If we find any deviation in it, we’ll show zero tolerance.  Any deviation will in no way be tolerated. Don’t take it lightly. We’ll not let anyone tarnish the image of the project or the initiative,” he said. Dr Kaikaus also said the noble deed like construction for homeless people is an excellent opportunity for the officers to show their efficiency in their career. He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s programme to alleviate poverty by providing homeless with houses is a rare model in the world. The Principal Secretary asked to prepare a database of beneficiaries of the Ashrayan project. Speaking at the meeting, the PMO Secretary asked the field officials to send the proposal to purchase lands for construction of the 125,000 houses in the next phase to the project director within the 15 days. Action will have to be taken immediately against anomalies, if any, Tofazzel Hossain added. In the second phase, the total number of allotted houses is 53,434. Of them, 7,280 houses in Dhaka division, while 2,512 in Mymensingh, 10,562 in Chattogram, 12,391 in Rangpur, 7,172 in Rajshahi, 3,911 in Khulna, 7,627 in Barishal and 1979 in Sylhet division.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated the distribution of homes among 66,189 landless and homeless families across the country under the Ashrayan-2 Project as part of the government’s pledge to provide houses to all landless and homeless families during “Mujib Borsho”.

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.