PHP, POSCO hand over more houses to homeless in Subarnachar

South Korean company POSCO International, in collaboration with PHP Family, on Monday handed over 11 more houses to the poor living in Char Wapda Union of Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali district.

PHP Family Managing Director Mohammed Iqbal Hossain, POSCO International Executive Vice President Chung Ki-sun, Ahasanul Alam, Head of Commercial of POSCO-Bangladesh and Executive Vice President of POSCO International Sang Chan Kim, Senior Manager Daniel Lee, Country Manager SJ Kang, Noakhali Rural Development Society (NRDS) Executive Director Abdul Awal, Wapda Union Chairman Abdul Mannan Bhuiya and PHP- Posco high official s and locals were present at the handover ceremony.

Earlier in December, five houses were handed over to the poor of the same area.

POSCO International, a South Korean company engaged in resources development, project organisation and steel processing services, has partnered with the PHP Family to implement this project, with an aim to provide 600 square feet homes – each with two rooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and a balcony – to 16 destitute families from Subarnachar upazila in Noakhali.

Houses have been selectively built for the families who own a piece of land, but cannot afford to build houses. The cost of constructing each house is Tk 4,70,000.

Coloured corrugated iron from the PHP family has been used in the construction of the house, ensuring quality and durability.

During the house handover ceremony, Mohammad Iqbal Hossain said, “Vice President of POSCO and I jointly visited the area and we were disappointed to see the plight of the people there. We decided to gradually build houses for the residents of the char. Me and my PHP Family are lucky and happy to have the opportunity to do something for the underprivileged people of the area.”

It is really a challenge for the government alone to ensure housing for the poor across the country, he said adding, “So we have taken this initiative to help the government. PHP Family Chairman Sufi Mohammad Mizanur Rahman loves to serve the needy people of the society. In continuation of that, we made houses for the poor in Subarnachar and handed those over.”

In a message from Korea’s POSCO International Headquarters, Daniel Lee said, “We look forward to continuing this initiative with our valued and strategic partner, the PHP family. And want to improve our level of activity in new supply of Steel House in near future. All the best to the families who have been handed over the new steel houses and all their families. My sincere gratitude to Iqbal of PHP Family.”

One of the recipients Aleya Begun, 50, said, “Me and my daughter could not imagine that we would get a house. No one even turns to the helpless. Building a house was a dream for us. We have at a loss for words to express our gratitude.”

Aleya Begum had tears in her eyes. Her daughter Jasmine hugged her when she started crying, saying, “This cry is of happiness.”