53,340 more homeless to get new houses

The government will provide 53,340 more houses to the landless and homeless families as part of its campaign to bring all such families under the housing scheme.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the distribution of these houses virtually on 20 June under the second phase of the Ashrayan-2 project, her Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus said at a press conference on Thursday.

"It is an inclusive development model which was never implemented by anyone or any country earlier in the world," said Kaikaus at the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), adding that Sheikh Hasina's initiative has now become a social campaign.

Previously, the prime minister handed over 69,904 houses to the homeless and landless families on January 23 under the first phase of the project on the occasion of the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

PMO Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, Project Director Md Mahbub Hossain and PMO Director General (Administration) Mohd Ahsan Kibria Siddiqui were present at Thursday's press brief.

Under the scheme, joint ownership of two-decimal house land alongside a modern abode will also be given to both husband and wife of each family. "The tin-shed pucca houses will be given to 53,340 more homeless and landless families," said Dr Ahmad Kaikaus.

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, he added.

Dr Kaikaus further said each family is getting the assets worth some Tk2.6 lakh, if the value of two-decimal land is considered on an average Tk50,000. The construction cost of every house is nearly Tk2 lakh, while the cost of utility connectivity (electricity and gas) is some Tk10,000.

Mentioning that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had undertaken the Ashrayan project in 1997, he 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.

On next Sunday, 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 division.

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 only homeless families (under class-Kha) is 592,261.