Shawdesh Desk:

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday distributed newly-constructed flats among 300 low-income families as they were living in slums, enabling them to avail of civic amenities.

She handed over the allocation papers of the new flats in 14-storey three buildings on rental basis.

The flat distribution programme was held at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre. The prime minister joined it from her official residence Ganabahban.

The flats have all the facilities of a modern urban residence like lift, generator, solar power, wide walkways, power substations, open spaces and beautification through illumination.

The daily rent for every 672-sqf flat, having a drawing room, one kitchen and separate bathrooms, has been fixed at Tk 150, while the monthly rent at Tk 4,500.

The Ministry of Housing and Public Works implemented the project at Mirpur 11 in the capital from its own financing. This is the first phase of relocating slum residents to better housing.

Two more such buildings are under construction which will be completed by December and the flats will be allocated on priority basis among the families of the project area, which was a slum before implementation of the project.

The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the project — originally taken in 2017– on October 16 this year.

There will be some 10,000 flats in the project which will cost Tk 148 crore. In its second phase, the flats will be given among 1,001 more families.

Apart from housing projects for slum residents, the prime minister inaugurated 2,474 flats in Azimpur, Motijheel, Mirpur, Malibagh and Tejgaon areas constructed for government employees posted in Dhaka.

In Azimpur, the number of flats is 1,292 in 17 20-storey buildings, 288 flats in Mirpur-6, and 456 in four 20-storey buildings in Malibah. In Motijheel, the number of flats is 380 in five 20 buildings.

Officers and employees of the Prime Minister Office will get accommodation in two eight-storey buildings with 58 flats in Tejgaon area.

She also inaugurated a 10-storey integrated office building in Madaripur district.

State Minister for Housing & Public Works Sharif Ahmed and Secretary Md Shahid Ullah Khandaker were present on the dais from the BICC side.