Being in power means an opportunity to serve the people: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today said being in power means an opportunity to serve the people, an opportunity to do something for the people. “When I formed the first government as a servant of the people, I declared that we have created ourselves as a service provider and we are helping and working in that way,” she said. “Our target is to provide a shelter to every person as none in any area of the country will remain landless, homeless and shelterless,” she said in a house distribution ceremony among the landless and homeless people.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has handed over 53,340 more houses to the landless and homeless people, reiterating her pledge to give shelter to everyone on Sunday. The Prime Minister inaugurated the distribution of tin-shed pucca houses on two decimals of land free of cost under the second phase of the Asrayan-2 project on a virtual platform joining from her official Ganabhaban residence in the capital on Sunday morning. She said that the government has been giving houses not only under the Ashrayan project but also under various programmes of the ministries.

The government has been working tirelessly to bring all the people under the housing scheme, she said, adding that various ministries alongside the Ashrayan projects are working to give everyone a shelter following the Father of the Nation’s footsteps. She added: “Life of the person, who is living beside the roads, footpaths, rail lines defying the rain and storm, will change if he gets a house and there is no more big happiness than getting a house to him and it brings a smile usually on his face.”

The Prime Minister said that they had earlier on January 23 last given around 70,000 houses to the landless and homeless people in the first phase of the Ashrayan project and this time 53,340 more people have got home under the project. She added that since assuming office in 1996, her government has given so far 4,42,608 houses to the homeless. The Prime Minister said that the people of various quarters particularly the government officials and business people have got inspired by the government Ashrayan project and extended their helping hands to this endeavor.

She said it’s a matter of joy that the spirit of providing houses to the homeless has arisen among the people of the country. She said the interest in giving houses to the people has once again proved that “human beings are meant for human beings.” Today, the highest 12,436 houses were given in the Rangpur division, while 10,547 in Chattogram, 7,630 in Dhaka, 7,172 in Rajshahi, 7,153 in Barishal, 911 in Khulna, 2512 in Mymensingh and 1979 in Sylhet division.

According to the lists prepared under the Ashrayan project, the number of homeless and landless families (under class-K) is 293,361 in the country, while the number of only homeless families (under class-Kha) is 592,261. A theme song on the Ashrayan project was played at the house distribution ceremony. PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, who moderated the function, gave a PowerPoint presentation on the project that he described as an inclusive development model formulated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Premier later exchanged views with the beneficiaries of the housing scheme who were connected from different parts of the country.