The Bangladesh government has no doubt done a stellar job when it comes to housing the poor; nearly one million landless and homeless people are getting houses now under various housing schemes like the Ashrayan project.
However, while this is certainly a victory for our people, we agree with experts who state that ensuring quality housing is a big challenge for the city dwellers, especially the lower-income and lower-middle-income groups.
Oftentimes, such groups live in conditions that are unfit for human habitation, at serious risk of numerous safety hazards, not to mention being susceptible to disease.It is unfortunate that such a large number of people fall through the cracks and do not receive the attention warranted to them.
Furthermore, it is also an unfortunate reality that most housing projects and incentives, if not for the absolute poor, heavily favour higher income groups.
All of this is in direct contrast to the equitable society we wish to build in Bangladesh. As has been stated time and time again, we may develop as a nation and continue to see impressive growth, but none of that means much if such a large section of our population continues life without even experiencing living conditions that are safe and secure.
The onus is on the authorities to recognize these groups, and much like the Ashrayan project, also develop plans so that we may get them into homes fit for human living. In the developed Bangladesh we want to see in less than two decades, ensuring good living for all should be the bare minimum we achieve.
