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.

“This is the biggest festival ever for the country today as we’re giving homes to the homeless and landless people…nothing can be a bigger festival in Bangladesh than this. I want your blessings so that we can build the country as the Golden Bengal as dreamt by the Father of the Nation,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while distributing homes among 66,189 landless and homeless families across the country under Ashrayan-2 Project as part of the government’s pledge to provide houses to all the landless and homeless families on the occasion of “Mujib Borsho” and “Golden Jubilee of the Independence”.
The Prime Minister joined the inauguration programme virtually from her official residence Ganabhaban and got connected with 492 upazilas across the country.

The government has constructed 66,189 houses spending Tk 1,168 crore for the homeless and landless families, a move the world sees for the first time.

Each unit has two rooms, one kitchen, one toilet and a veranda, costing Tk 1.75 lakh.

Sheikh Hasina said today is the day of joy and happiness for her as she has been able to provide a house and an address to the most deprived section of people.

“For the people of the country my father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had struggled throughout his life.

I’m very happy that we’ve been able to give addresses to these people, especially at this winter time,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina also said that the government will provide another 100,000 houses among the homeless people across the country. “The process will start very soon. We do hope there’ll be no homeless people in the country during the Mujib Barsho and Golden Jubilee of Independence,” she said.

Thanking all those involved in this massive task, the Prime Minister said she does not know whether such a huge job has been completed so quickly in any corner of the world.

“Even in our country, no government could build so many houses at this short time…this is not a simple task, we had been able to finish this huge job because of coordinated efforts from all by this we could accomplish the impossible task,” she said.

Hasina said the government is working for all sections of people so that they can lead a decent life.

The Prime Minister vowed afresh to provide houses among the homeless people across the country on the occasion of Mujib Barsho and Golden Jubilee of the Independence of the country.

“No one will remain shelter-less in the Mujib Barsho and Golden Jubilee of Independence. We’ll do whatever possible for us, maybe we have our limitations of resources and that’s why we’re building the houses at the limited scale. I’ll provide at least one address for every person.”

Hasina said she believes that when these people will live in their houses, the departed souls of her father and mother who sacrificed their entire lives for the people of the country, will be in peace.

“Millions of martyrs who have made the supreme sacrifice for the country will get peace. To change the fate of the people of the country was the only aim of the Father of the Nation,” she said.

Hasina said there were so many programmes to celebrate the birth centenary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, but the government could not observe those due to the coronavirus.

“Coronavirus has brought in a curse in one sense, it’s a blessing in disguise as we have been able to put our focus on this particular task (providing shelter to the homeless people),” she said.

The Prime Minister urged all who got the new houses to plant trees beside their homes.

She also urged the affluent section of society to supplement the government efforts in providing shelter to the homeless.

Earlier, on behalf of the Prime Minister, responsible persons in 492 upazilas provided the ownership documents of a two-decimal house to each of the 66,189 families.

The Prime Minister also spoke to a cross-section of people, including the beneficiaries, through videoconferencing at Kanthaltola village of Dumuria Upazila in Khulna, Nijbari village of Syedpur upazila in Nilphamari, Ikortali village of Chunarughat in Habiganj and Solla village in Chaipainawabganj Sadar in Chapainawabganj district.