9 districts made free of homeless or landless people: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared that with seven new additions the total number of homeless and landless-free districts in the country stands at nine, as part of her government's efforts to ensure all homeless people get houses with lands.

She made the announcement while handing over 39,365 houses each with two-decimal lands for free to homeless families under the 4th phase of Ashrayan-2 project virtually from her official residence in the capital, BSS reported.

Each of the houses is tin-shed, semi-pucca in nature and has two rooms, one toilet, one kitchen and a spacious veranda. Since 1997, a total of 7,71,301 otherwise homeless families or 38,56,505 homeless people scattered across the country have been rehabilitated under two Ashrayan projects.

On Wednesday, the prime minister also declared 159 upazilas as homeless- and landless-free, taking the total number of the homeless-free upazilas to 211 under the Ashrayan projects, according to UNB.

"Not a single person will remain homeless or landless in Bangladesh. We've been working to implement this goal," she said.

The newly declared homeless- and landless-free seven districts are Madaripur, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Chuadanga.

Earlier, she had declared Panchagarh and Magura as homeless- and landless-free districts and 52 upazilas as homeless- and landless-free upazilas.

On Wednesday, on her behalf, public representatives – ministers, lawmakers and upazila chairmen – as well as government officials, were present at different project sites and handed over the house certificates and land documents to the beneficiaries.

Since January 2021, Hasina has provided 63,999 houses in the first phase, 53,330 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 stands at 215, 827 under the Ashrayan-2 Project.

Talking about the project's achievement, Prime Minister Hasina said if any family in the now declared homeless-free areas loses residential facilities due to natural disasters or other factors, the family will be given houses along with land.

She asked all to find out the landless families throughout the country or any new family becoming homeless due to natural disasters or any other reason in the areas which were already declared homeless-free. The government will provide them with abodes, she added.

In the virtual function, she exchanged views with the beneficiaries of the Nayapara Ashrayan project at Sreepur upazila in Gazipur district and the Uttarpar Ashrayan project under Banaripara upazila in Barishal.

Prime minister's Principal Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the event.

The 159 upazilas that were declared homeless-free areas on Wednesday include eight upazilas in Netrokona district; six each in Narsingdi, Brahmanbaria, Cumilla, Rajshahi and Pirojpur; five each in Gazipur, Bogura and Kushtia; four each in Gopalganj, Madaripur, Kishoreganj, Sirajganj, Joypurhat, Chapainawabganj, Chuadanga, Patuakhali, Barishal and Sylhet; three each in Dhaka, Rajbari, Tangail, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Jamalpur, Chandpur, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Satkhira, Jashore and Habiganj; two each in Manikganj, Munshiganj, Faridpur, Chattogram, Rangpur, Nilphamari, Meherpur and Jhalakathi; and one each in Shariatpur, Cox's Bazar, Gaibandha, Thakurgaon, Bhola, Barguna, Moulvibazar and Sunamganj.

Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman introduced the rehabilitation programme for homeless people in 1972.

Following the footprints of Bangabandhu, his daughter Prime Minister Hasina took the initiative to provide ownership of houses and lands to homeless and landless people through the Ashrayan Project in 1997.