Shelter houses remain unused for years

Most of the 138 houses built for the landless in two phases at Sariakandi in Bogura remained empty and locked for years as the allottees have built their own houses and land by this time.

According to local sources, South Tengrakura Shelter Project was built next to Shahjalal market around 8 years ago. The area is located some 1.5 km far from Jamthal ghat on the banks of Jamuna River in Kajla union of Sariakandi upazila.

The project included 110 houses divided into 11 blocks and 28 more houses were built recently.

The upazila administration built these houses as part of the government’s programme for the landless and the houses were allocated to residents of that union.

Most of the allottees, however, do not live in the houses given to them as they already have their own residence and the shelter houses remain locked.

In an on spot visit, this correspondent found that some are being rented from the allotted people to those without a place to live.

Shayla Beowa, 70, was one of the rare few original allottees who live in the housing project. Her daughter Josna Begum and three grandchildren were not allotted a house and rented neighbouring houses.

“I heard that these houses were allocated to Feju Mollah, a resident of the Ananda Bazar area,” said Josna Begum.

She added that she and her sons were homeless and since the original allottees do not live there, they moved into the empty houses.

Badi khan and Babu Pramanik, residents of villages close to the shelter project said some homeless people moved into a few empty houses but many still remain locked.

Abu Khan, chairman of Kajla Union Krishak League lives in a house allotted for the same project. He said the houses were built and allocated while Rafiqul Islam was the chairman of Kajla union parishad.

However, Rashed Sarkar was elected as the chairman before the houses were handed over to the allottees. “The new chairman ignored the previous list and allocated the houses to whoever he pleased,” said Abu Khan.

After the 28 new houses of the project were built, Abu khan made a list of homeless people and handed it over to the Upazila Nirbahi Officer. But the new houses were also allocated to people who are not landless and as such the housing project built in two phases did not serve its purpose.

“I have recently informed the UNO of the situation and I expect they will allocate the houses to those who are actually homeless,” he said.

When contacted, the current UP chairman Rafiqul Islam, said only five or six of the allottees are living there.

“The rest, who moved in were not allocated a house but are actually homeless and allocating the houses to them will be beneficial,” he said.

He also said that he had informed the UNO and DC of this matter, adding that a report has been sought from the upazila administration in this regard.

Sariakandi UNO Mohammad Rezaul Karim said the shelter project houses were allocated before he joined the office and he knows of the current situation.

“The allotment of those who are not staying in the houses will be cancelled and actual homeless and landless people will get allocations,” he said.