Shawdesh Desk:

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday declared another 12 districts and 123 upazilas free of homeless and landless people as 22,101 more families were provided with abodes under Ashrayan-2 project.

She made the announcement and opened the distribution of the semi-pucca houses to the homeless and landless families through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.

With the 12 districts and 123 upazilas, a total of 21 districts and 334 upazilas throughout the country have so far become homeless and landless family-free ones.

The keys of 22,101 houses and the ownership documents of a two-decimal of house lands were handed over to the families in different districts of the country. Some 115,000 people are being rehabilitated in the houses.

The prime minister was connected virtually with the beneficiaries and local people of three places while distributing the houses to the landless and homeless families on the sixth occasion since Mujib Year.

The three places are Barasat Sonar Bangla Palli Ashrayan Project site in Terokhada Upazila under Khulna, Chakla Ashrayan-2 project site in Bera Upazila under Pabna, and Amanullahpur Ashrayan project site in Begumganj Upazila under Noakhali district.

The 12 districts that earned the distinction of becoming free of landless and homeless families are Manikganj, Rajbari, Mymensingh, Sherpur, Dinajpur, Naogaon, Natore, Pabna, Kushtia, Pirojpur and Jhalakathi.

The 123 upazilas include Gosairhat in Shariatpur district; Kuliarchar, Nikli, Hossainpur, Bajitpur, Mithamoin and Karimganj in Kishoreganj; Ghatail, Nagarpur, Mirzapur, Kalihati and Basail in Tangail; Shibaloy, Harirampur and Sadar in Manikganj; Sreenagar and Tongibari in Munshiganj; Goalanda in Rajbari; Sonargaon, Rupganj, Araihazar and Sadar in Narayanganj; Boalmari, Charbhadrasan, Bhanga and Sadar in Faridpur; Iswarganj, Haluaghat, Dhobaura, Gafargaon, Muktagacha and Sadar in Mymensingh; Sreebardi and Sadar in Sherpur; Islampur and Sarishabari in Jamalpur; Pekua, Ukhia and Teknaf in Coxs Bazar; Hathazari and Anwara in Chattogram; Matlab Dakkhin and Kachua in Chandpur; Begumganj, Sonaimuri, Chatkhil, Senbug and Sadar in Noakhali; Nangalkot, Barura, Homna, Titas, Meghna, Meghna and Burichang in Cumilla; Daganbhuiyan in Feni, Palashbari in Gaibandha; Badarganj in Rangpur; Bochaganj, Birganj, Chirirbandar, Parbatipur, Fulbari, Birampur, Hakimpur, Ghoraghat and Sadar in Dinajpur.

The other upazilas are Pirganj, Ranisankail and Sadar in Thakurgaon; Domar and Jaldhaka in Nilphamari; Atrai, Badalgachi, Manda, Niamatpur, Porsha, Sapahar and Sadar in Naogaon; Tarash, Shahjadpur and Kamarkhanda in Sirajganj; Gabtoli, Adamdighi and Sadar in Bogura; Singra, Naldanga and Sadar in Natore; Chatmohar, Bera, Faridpur, Bhangura and Sujanagar in Pabna; Jhenaidah Sadar; Kaliganj and Sadar in Satkhira; Jashore Sadar in Jashore; Khoksha in Kushtia; Dighalia in Khulna; Kalia in Narail; Pirojpur Sadar in Pirojpur; Jhalakathi Sadar; Kalapara and Galachipa in Patuakhali; Patharghata, Betagi, Taltali in Barguna; Beanibazar, Companiganj,Golapganj, Gowainghat and Zakiganj in Sylhet; Sreemangal, Moulvibazar Sadar, Kulaura, Barlekha and Juri in Moulvibazar; Shayestaganj, Bahubal, Lakhai, Habiganj Sadar and Madhabpur in Habiganj; and Shalla and Dharmapasha in Sunamganj.

PMs principal secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the function.

Earlier, the prime minister declared nine districts — Panchagarh, Magura, Madaripur, Gazipur, Narsingdi, Joypurhat, Rajshahi, Chapainawabganj and Chuadanga — as landless and homeless people-free districts on two occasions.

The PM has so far given houses to a total of 8,29,607 families under Ashrayan projects and other programmes. Some 4,148,035 people have been rehabilitated in the houses.

Of them, 2,778,085 people (of 555,617 families) have rehabilitated only under the Ashrayan project, run by the prime ministers office (from 1997 till July 2023).