FFs, their families elated at getting new homes from PM Hasina

Sixty-five financially insolvent families of freedom fighters have been happy after getting homes in Gopalganj as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The one-storey 500 sq ft houses have two bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a varanda.  They also accommodate a cattle shed. Gopalganj Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) constructed the homes, under the supervision of the Liberation War Affairs Ministry, spending Tk627,90,000. The project, under which the 65 homes have been built, was undertaken in 2015 to rehabilitate 74 landless and poor families of the war heroes in the district’s five upazilas. LGED sources said the project was meant to construct a maximum 31 homes in Gopalganj sadar upazila, seven in Kotalipara and Tungipara upazilas each, 13 in Kashiani upazila and 16 others in Muksudpur upazila. Gopalganj LGED Executive Engineer AK Fazlul Haq said: “We have already rehabilitated 65 freedom fighters’ families.  Construction of the rest homes will be completed soon.” Freedom fighter Md Khademul Islam Dalim of Bedgram in  the sadar upazila said they had been neglected by the state despite risking their lives in the 1971 Liberation War. “We are now elated at the gift (home) from the PM,” he said. Echoing the same, Rajia Begum, widow of freedom fighter Qazi Shamsul Alam of Gobra village under Gopajganj Sadar upazila, her life turned way too tough after her husband had died 21 years ago. “Since then, I was struggling with my family, due to poverty. We had been living in a shabby house. But now I am so glad that the premier managed new accommodation for us,” said the woman.