Another 160 landless families are getting new houses and land in Meherpur
“Having a furnished house is like a dream for us”
Fazlul Haque Montu Meherpur Correspondent-
The life of hardship of not having a house is going to end for the landless and homeless people of Meherpur. 160 more families in Meherpur are getting semi-furnished houses and land as a gift from Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
I don’t know how long I’ve been sunburned and drenched in rain for want of a place to stay. I can’t count how many sleepless nights I spent. Now I feel like I’m in heaven. For us, having a furnished house is like a dream. Sixty-four Sumela Begum was saying the words while weaving a palm leaf rug.
Mala Khatun, who lives with one daughter and two sons, said her husband had moved away long ago. Worrying about children made sleep forbidden. I lived in a dilapidated house. I am so happy to have a new house.
160 semi-paved houses have been constructed in Raghunathpur village of Meherpur Sadar Upazila. About 550 members of 160 families are living there. It is said that the Hon’ble Prime Minister will inaugurate it online on June 10. On that day, they will be officially handed over the house documents. However, the landless have already started to settle. The houses have two rooms, one bathroom, balcony and red-green colored tin roof.
Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer Nahida Islam said that 160 houses have been constructed in Raghunathpur shelter of Sadar Upazila at a cost of Tk 4.8 million. The construction cost of each house is estimated at 3 lakh rupees. Apart from this, a school has been constructed for children’s education with paved roads, water and electricity.
The houses have been built in Raghunathpur village, 5 km west of Meherpur city. The entire village is covered in red-green tin canopies. It can be seen that around 500 people are living in new houses without land. Someone is rearing cows and goats with the house. Someone is doing Nakshikantha work and someone has made a vegetable garden in front of the house.
The residents are excited to get a new house. Thanked the Prime Minister. He also thanked Meherpur 1 Constituency MP and Public Administration Minister Farhad Hossain. There were tears of joy in their eyes after getting a new house.
A beneficiary named Chabeda Khatun said, I used to live in a dilapidated house. Sun and rain were our constant companions. I never dreamed that I would live in such a beautiful house at the end of my life. It is like a dream for us.
The impoverished people got new houses with the sincerity of Bangabandhu’s daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. There is no end to their gratitude. One named Sabur Ali said, we have no land. We have got a new half-baked house with the wishes of the Hon’ble Prime Minister. I am very well with one son, two daughters and wife.
Meherpur Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Dr. Kazi Najib Hasan said that a few days ago the residents of Raghunath Asrayan were living in a very dilapidated condition. Later, with the efforts of the Minister of Public Administration, new houses were built in the entire village. He also said that I am lucky to work in this wonderful arrangement of the present government. Now the roads will be paved. The residents will be provided employment through cooperative loans to make them self-reliant through various types of training. So that along with housing, economic freedom is also met. Through the Department of Agriculture, vegetables will be cultivated with them on vacant land here. So that their nutritional needs are met and market costs are reduced. The primary school here is being nationalized. All the houses here have been given free electricity. Safe drinking water is provided for all.
Minister of Public Administration Farhad Hossain said, Honorable Prime Minister is not only in Meherpur but all over Bangladesh is giving half-baked house and land to the homeless and landless people. He is giving them a place of safety. Their sons and daughters can study there. Electricity, roads and water are being provided there. They are very happy to get new house and we are looking if there are more landless then we will arrange new house for them too. Honorable Prime Minister will officially inaugurate these houses on June 10.