Ashrayan homes make millions of people happy in Bangladesh

After coming to power in 1996, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina envisioned the Ashrayan initiative for the rehabilitation of millions of homeless, marginalized, and ultra-poor people.

“In all shabby weatherparticularly during monsoon and winter, we had to face unbound sufferings,as I virtually lived underthe open sky,” according to Monira Begum, one of the beneficiaries of the Prime Minister’s Ashrayan Project.
Now, smiles glowed on Monira’s face after receiving her dream home at Lakshmipur district, about 190 km from capital Dhaka.

Thousands of people in rural Bangladesh have been floating from one place to another since the country’s independence. They had no fixed address.

The Ashrayan project, a homeless shelter, is regarded as a “Sheikh Hasina Model” for inclusive development. So far, over 10 lakh families have gotten similar homes across the country, providing shelter to over 3.5 million people.

According to the officials, the first phase of their project distributed 63,999 dwellings to the underprivileged, followed by 53,330 houses in the second phase and 59,133 houses in the third phase.

Following the success of Ashrayan Project-1, the government launched Ashrayan Project-2. And, so far, 39365 houses have been allocated to the needy under the scheme, bringing their total number of residences to 2,15,827.

Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the Father of the Nation, began the scheme for poor housing following independence in 1972. However, following his gruesome assassination in 1975, the rulers put the work on hold, resulting in an increase in the number of homeless people due to river erosion and other natural calamities.

So, Sheikh Hasina’s Ashrayan Project was simply a strengthening of Bangabandhu’s footprint for the welfare of the toiling masses.

The government has rehabilitated 5,54,597 families through the Ashrayan projects, with 2,16,704 families restored through several ministries’ programs.

The Ashrayan project is a life-changing government program for the welfare of the country’s impoverished, who can now dream of a better life.

Mridha Shihab Mahmud is a writer, content editor and photojournalist. He works as a staff reporter at News Hour. He is also involved in humanitarian works through a trust called Safety Assistance For Emergencies (SAFE). Mridha also works as film director. His passion is photography. He is the chief respondent person in Mymensingh Film & Photography Society. Besides professional attachment, he loves graphics designing, painting, digital art and social networking.
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