Ashrayan blessing for many homeless families in Rajshahi division

Shafura Begum, 48, a beneficiary of the Halidagachhi Ashrayan-2 project under Charghat upazila in Rajshahi district, has got a permanent address for the first time in her life.

She is happy since she got the house in the third phase of the project on July 22 last saying the semi-pucca house has brought dignity and honour to her life.

Shafura, a widow, expressed her deep gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and said the house has eradicated her long-lasting homeless condition associated with untold suffering.

Wife of van-puller Liton Ali, 54, Begum said they had neither home nor land and had been passing their days amid difficulties before getting the house.

"We have already started cultivating vegetables on the vacant lands and farming fish on the pond in the project area," she said, adding that the Ashrayan project has inspired them how to become self-reliant through income-generating activities.

Adury Begum, one of the beneficiaries of the Jhalpukur Ashrayan Project in Mohanpur Upazila, said she used to live in a thatched house before getting the new one. She had to suffer a lot due to the lack of a house.

But, the worst situation has changed now. She along with her husband and two daughters are having happy days in the house.

Kolpona Kisku, a widow of Dewpur village under Paba upazila, is living in the new house at Kasiadanga Ashrayan Project with her two sons Bishwajit and Durjoy. Bishwajit is now a student at Rajshahi University.

Deputy Commissioner Abdul Jalil said the government has provided them with houses to alleviate their poverty through giving shelters and human resource development activities.

The houses were made colourfully and eye-catching. The disaster-resistant houses reveal the images of laudable and lasting development activities of the government.

The floors and walls of the houses are brick-built as the roofs were made of corrugated sheets.

Each of the semi-pucca houses with two bedrooms, one kitchen, one toilet, common space and a veranda are built.

Commissioner of Rajshahi division GSM Zafarullah said a total of 2,348 homeless families get houses in the second step of the third phase of the Ashrayan-2 project as gifts by the generosity of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in all eight districts in Rajshahi division.

He said ten upazilas in the division were announced as freed from landlessness and homeless.

Earlier, 19,413 newly constructed houses were handed over to homeless and landless families in the division under the Ashrayan-2 project.

Commissioner Zafarullah said the main thrust of the initiative is to improve the standard of living and ensure basic education, health care and skill development on income-generating activities of the beneficiary people.