Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina distributed 18,566 more houses  among the homeless and landless families across the country under Ashrayan-2 project on Tuesday (June 11, 2024), five days before the Eid-ul Azha. She opened the distribution of the houses alongwith ownership documents through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban, connecting to Kaliganj upazila of Lalmonirhat, Eidgaon upazila of Cox’s Bazar, and Char Fashion upazila of Bhola. Besides, the PM declared 70 more upazilas, including all upazilas of 26 districts, free from landlessness and homelessness people. With this declaration, the total number of landless and homeless-free districts has reached 58 and the number of landless and homeless-free Upazilas has gone up to 464 across the country. The houses were constructed under the government’s flagship housing programme, Ashrayan-2 Project, aiming to ensure housing for all. PM Hasina's Ashrayan project to set another milestone Tuesday On Tuesday, the prime minister distributed 1,282 houses in Lalmonirhat, 261 in Cox’s Bazar, and 1,234 in Bhola districts. Earlier, the prime minister distributed 63,999 houses in the first phase, 53,330 in the second phase, 59,133 in the third phase, and 39,365 in the fourth phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project across the country. Under the project, each landless and homeless family is provided with a semi-pucca house on two decimals of land, with ownership jointly granted to both husband and wife. Each house consists of two bedrooms, a kitchen, a toilet, and a veranda. The rehabilitation programme for homeless people was initially introduced by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in 1972. Following that PM Hasina initiated the Ashrayan project in 1997 to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people. Since its inception, the Ashrayan project has rehabilitated a total of 771,301 families, benefiting an estimated 3,856,505 individuals. Across all programmes, 4,340,000 people from 867,904 families have been rehabilitated, including 2,910,265 people from 582,053 families under the Ashrayan Project. Read more: Ashrayan project: PM Hasina to provide free houses, lands to 18,566 families

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 vowed to ensure houses for all the homeless people at a programme marking the handing over about 33,000 government-built homes to another batch of extremely poor families as her Eid gift. “We’ve been able to ensure electricity for 100 per cent people. Now 100 per cent (homeless) people will get the houses. None will remain landless and shelter-less in Bangladesh,” she said. The prime minister was addressing the house distribution function among 32,904 homeless and landless families across the country under the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 Project. She inaugurated the distribution of semi-pucca abodes, joining a virtual function from her official residence Ganobhaban in the morning. Sheikh Hasina exchanged views with beneficiaries from the four cluster housing places at Nagarkanda Upazila in Faridpur, Barguna Sadar Upazila, Sirajganj Sadar Upazila and Anwara Upazila in Chattogram through a videoconference. The PM said she doesn’t know whether such a housing initiative was taken in any other country across the world. “To me, power is to serve the people and work for the people. So, today I’ve been working so that not a single person will remain homeless or shelter-less in Bangladesh,” she asserted. Also read:Ashrayan-2: About 33, 000 homeless families get homes as PM's Eid gift

Criticizing Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her remarks on the demolition of around 300 houses under the Ashrayan-2 Project, the BNP standing committee alleged that now “corruption is backed by the state”. The Prime Minister’s remark on having the list of those who damaged the houses of gift is tantamount to backing the corruption of Awami League-backed contractors and partisan bureaucrats in the construction of houses under the Ashrayan-2 Project, BNP said. At their weekly virtual meeting on Saturday, the BNP policymakers also said the Awami League government is giving corruption an “institutional shape” in all spheres of the state. Read: BNP criticizes PM for her Ashrayan house remarks “The meeting sharply criticised the Prime Minister's remarks (on the Ashrayan hoses),” said a press release on Sunday. On Thursday, the Prime Minister alleged that some people damaged the houses, given by her government to the homeless as a gift for Mujib Borsho, with hammers and shovels and the media published photos of those broken houses. Hasina said she has got the full details of the culprits, including their names and others, after an investigation. The BNP standing committee members also strongly protested and denounced the gunning down of a Bangladeshi citizen, Shahibar Rahman, by Indian Border Security Force along the Dantbhanga border in Kurigram's Roumari upazila on September 4. They alleged that it has never been possible to take effective action against all these killings due to the government’s "knee-jerk’’ foreign policy. Read: BNP calls for simultaneous anti-govt movement In no country in the civilized world, people are shot dead in this way along the border. It’s against international law, they observed. The BNP standing committee meeting urged the government to take effective measures to force the Indian authorities to refrain from such heinous killings. It also condemned the statement of State Minister for Information and Broadcasting Dr Md Murad Hasan on removing the museum named after Ziaur Rahman at the old circuit house in Chattogram. “People will never accept such a decision.” The meeting protested the recent arrest of opposition leaders and activists and demanded their immediate release after withdrawing all false cases filed against them.

The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Wednesday signed Annual Performance Agreements (APAs) of 2021-22 fiscal year with its six agencies and Ashrayan-2 Project. PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus signed the agreements at a ceremony held at Karobi Hall in the PMO. Also read: Bangladesh-India bilateral talks begin at PMO PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah on behalf of the PMO and the chief executives of the six agencies and Project Director of Ashrayan-2 on behalf of their respective sides inked the annual performance agreements. The six agencies are Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA), Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA), Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), Public Private Partnership Authority (PPPA), National Skills Development Authority (NSDA) and NGO Affairs Bureau. Also read: Flood Management: PMO asks all to perform duties with sincerity Principal Coordinator (SDG Affairs) Zuena Aziz, BIDA executive chairman Md Sirazul Islam, BEZA executive chairman Paban chowdhury, CEO of PPPA Sultana Afroz, BEPZA executive chairman Major General Md Nazrul Islam, NSDA executive chairman Dulal Krishna Saha, NGO Affairs Bureau’s Director General KM Tariqul Islam and Project Director of Ashrayan-2 Md Mahbub Hossain were present.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday said the government with its limited resources is trying to improve the lifestyle of the people at the grassroots. "With our limited resources, we’re trying to reach the common people and grassroots ones for improving their lives and livelihoods. That's our aim," she said. Sheikh Hasina said this while distributing 53,340 well-built semi-pucca homes along with land ownership documents among homeless and landless families across the country in the second phase under the Ashrayan-2 project. Read:PM to distribute over 53,000 new homes to the homeless Sunday The highest 12,436 houses were given in Rangpur division, while 10,547 in Chattogram, 7,630 in Dhaka, 7,172 in Rajshahi, 7,153 in Barishal, 911 in Khulna, 2512 in Mymensingh and 1979 in Sylhet divisions. The Prime Minister virtually joined the distribution programme from her official residence Ganobhaban. Hasina said the government, since assuming power, has been trying to help the ultra-poor in every way and the result of which is now visible. "The ultra-poor are gradually learning to stand on their feet …they’re coming up…that’s what we want." She mentioned that the government’s main target is to improve the living standard of the people at the grassroots by engaging them in livelihood activities. Read:International vaccine institute to be set up in Bangladesh: Hasina The economic policy of the government is to ensure resources up to rural level in addition to ensuring their access to education and healthcare, Hasina said adding, ``That's the policy of the Awami League and that’s what the Father of the Nation taught us.” "When one gets a home, he or she is thrilled with joy and happiness, and that becomes visible on their smiling faces. I want nothing more than that," she said.

Abu Salek, in his early 40s, had a very painful life for the last 26 years as he had no home of his own. He now thinks life could be better, much better! “At one point of time things were horrible for me... I spent 26 years without a home,” Salek told the UNB correspondent in Brahmanbaria. Salek is no longer a homeless man as he, along with many others, got a semi-pucca two-decimal house gifted by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in January last of the Mujib Year. Read ‘This is biggest festival ever’: Hasina about home distribution among homeless

Over 53,340 homeless and landless families are going to receive well-built homes on Sunday as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s focus on addressing the accommodation problem of the homeless continues even during the pandemic. These families will be provided with modern homes and land ownership documents across the country under Ashrayan-2 project on the day. Read:Ashrayan-2: Over 53,000 houses set to be distributed in June The Prime Minister will inaugurate the second-phase distribution of semi-pucca houses in the Mujib Year through a videoconference from Ganobhaban. “The houses will be given to 53,340 more homeless and landless families on June 20 next (Sunday),” said PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus at a press conference in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Thursday. The joint ownership documents of the two-decimal homes along with a tin-roofed pucca dwelling will be given to both the husband and wife of a family ensuring gender equality, he said. Besides, 100,000 more houses will be given by December next as part of the government’s move to rehabilitate the country’s homeless people in the Mujib Year, said Dr Kaikaus. Read:Ashrayan project: 50,000 more houses for homeless in April On January 23 last, 70,000 such houses along with documents were given to homeless and landless people in the first phase of the project in line with the Prime Minister’s announcement that there would be no homeless and landless people in Bangladesh, Dr Kaikaus said. He said it is Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s unique model in the world to rehabilitate homeless people. The Principal Secretary said this is how each family is getting overall property worth Tk 2.6 lakh. Mentioning that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had undertaken the Ashrayan project in 1997, Dr Kaikaus said a total of 373,562 houses have so far been given to homeless and landless families under the Ashrayan project run by the PMO. Read: Hasina inaugurates home distribution under Ashrayan-2 Project On Sunday next, the highest 12,436 houses will be given in Rangpur division, while 10,547 in Chattogram, 7,630 in Dhaka, 7,172 in Rajshahi, 37,153 in Barishal, 911 in Khulna, 2512 in Mymensingh and 1979 in Sylhet divisions. According to the lists prepared under the Ashrayan project, the number of homeless and landless families (under class-K) is 293,361 in the country, while that of just-homeless families (under class-Kha) is 592,261.

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’.

For Shahadat and his wife Nargis Begum, a public toilet in the Tinpatti area of Boalmari Bazar has long been home.