“With our limited resources, we’re trying to reach the common people and grassroots ones for improving their lives and livelihoods. That’s our aim,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said this while distributing 53,340 well-built semi-pucca homes along with land ownership documents among homeless and landless families across the country in the second phase under the Ashrayan-2 project. 

The highest 12,436 houses were given in 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 divisions.

The Prime Minister virtually joined the distribution programme from her official residence Ganabhaban.

Hasina said the government, since assuming power, has been trying to help the ultra-poor in every way and the result of which is now visible. “The ultra-poor are gradually learning to stand on their feet …they’re coming up…that’s what we want.”

She mentioned that the government’s main target is to improve the living standard of the people at the grassroots by engaging them in livelihood activities.

The economic policy of the government is to ensure resources up to rural level in addition to ensuring their access to education and healthcare, Hasina said adding, “That’s the policy of the Awami League and that’s what the Father of the Nation taught us.”

“When one gets a home, he or she is thrilled with joy and happiness, and that becomes visible on their smiling faces. I want nothing more than that,” she said. 

Hasina said the departed soul of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman will be in peace when every person of the country will get the shelter.

She said natural calamities like cyclone, tidal surge, riverbank erosion and flooding cause sufferings to people and leave them homeless frequently as Bangladesh is a calamity-prone country. “Our aim is to ensure homes for them, rehabilitate them by ensuring livelihood options for them.”

Hasina said the government has set its goal to make Bangladesh free from poverty and the government is doing everything to achieve that.

Local public representatives and public servants, on behalf of the Prime Minister, handed over the joint ownership documents of the two-decimal houses to both husbands and wives ensuring gender equality.

On January 23 last, 70,000 such houses along with documents were given to homeless and landless people in the first phase of the project in line with the Prime Minister’s announcement that there would be no homeless and landless people in Bangladesh.

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 that of just-homeless families (under class-Kha) is 592,261.

Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus conducted the programme and made a power-point presentation.

A song describing the project was also played in the programme.

Later, the Prime Minister talked to the beneficiaries who joined the event from different parts of the country.