Construction work on Bangladesh’s largest shelter project for the homeless people is underway to realise a dream for many homeless people at Mankashai in Kasba upazila of Brahmanbaria under the Ashrayan 2 project.
According to the project officials, 400 houses are being built on 12.35 acres of land to accommodate over 1,600 people once it is completed.
Some 300 workers are employed to complete the project by May, said officials.
While recently visiting the country’s largest shelter at Mankahai, this correspondent witnessed the ongoing progress of the massive construction work.
Workers were busy building semi- pucca tin-shed houses. In addition, red tins were being installed in the houses at the centre of the project area. surrounded by green tin-shed houses to represent the national flag of Bangladesh.
“A familiar atmosphere will be created once the vast land is transformed into an ideal village with provisions of utility services and livelihoods. In addition, there will be educational institutions and playgrounds for toddlers so that they can dream of a better future,” said Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah, senior secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
While visiting the project area, the senior secretary said: “There will be mosques, temples and ponds for the people as well. In other words, everything that is needed for a full social experience will be here. Nowhere else in the country has a shelter project been built with these facilities. There is no other project in Bangladesh with so many houses in one place. To my knowledge, this is the largest shelter project in the country.
“The beneficiaries will also be provided with various kinds of technical training and loan assistance by the government to make them self-reliant,” he added.
As part of the plan, the Department of Youth Development, Department of Women and Children Affairs and Department of Social Services will mainly provide training to the homeless people. A special loan scheme is also under consideration for them.
Ahsan Kibria Siddique, director general (Administration) of the PMO; Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan, director (joint secretary) of Asrayan 2 Project; Ashraf Uddin, divisional commissioner of Chittagong; Md Shahgir Alam, deputy commissioner of Brahmanbaria; and Masud Ul Alam, Kasba upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) were also present during the visit.
Tofazzal Hossain Mia said: “I am satisfied with the quality of work. More than 1,600 people from 400 families will live here. Every family will get water and electricity.”
Ashrayan 2 Project Director Abu Saleh Mohammad Ferdous Khan said the new structures under the third phase are more sustainable compared to the first and second stages as cost and quality had been increased.
According to officials, the construction cost of this shelter project involves Tk10.36crore while each house for the underprivileged people is valued at Tk2.59 lakh.
As part of the government’s campaign to bring all landless and homeless families under housing facilities, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will hand over a total of 65,474 houses under the third phase of the Ashrayan 2 project.
According to the PMO, the houses will be officially handed over after Eid-ul-Fitr.
The beneficiaries have been given semi-permanent houses with land in the first and second phases under the Ashrayan 2 project. Each house will have a kitchen and a toilet. There is also a place for raising poultry and growing vegetables in the yard.
The prime minister had undertaken the Ashrayan project in 1997 and 3,733,562 houses have so far been handed over to homeless and landless families under the project administered by the PMO.