People from various ethnic groups, including Gipsies who are used to live on boats, and the transgender of the country are getting land and houses under the ongoing Ashrayan Prokalpa-2 (Housing Project-2) of the government.
Primarily around 6,500 families from 50 ethnic groups, including Gipsies, who live on the plains or on boats, have been selected by the government.
The initiative has been taken by the government for improving the living standard of the ethnic groups. Since they are landless and homeless, they have no identities and permanent addresses. This is why, they are deprived of almost all kinds of social rights including education.
Considering their sub-standard lifestyle, the government, mainly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has decided to improve their living standard.
According to sources in the Ashrayan Prakalpo-2 official sources, around 6,500 houses are being given in two phases for the people of 50 groups. Of them, the largest housing or accommodation
for the rehabilitation of the ethnic groups are being done at Jagannathpur near Majdia Baor area under Kaliganj upazila in Jhenidah district.
This place has been selected as a large number of Gipsy people or boat people live in the area. Already 59 houses have been built there on a plot of two acres, which earlier was illegally occupied by some local powerful people. Those 59 families are expected to get their houses by next June.
At present, those Gipsy families are living under the open sky at Barobazar union under Kaliganj upazila.
Sources said, each of the houses has two living rooms, a kitchen room and a bathroom. Tk 2,59 lakh is being spent for each house.
Besides, some open spaces will be available there for playground, mosques, plantation and livestock rearing.
In 1997 a project titled ‘Asrayan’ was taken up for rehabilitation of the landless and homeless people. The project is being implemented under the direct supervision of the Prime Minister.
As part of the continuation of the project and on the occasion of the Mujibbaorsho, 1,17,329 houses were built in the first and second phases. In the third phase, construction work for 65, 474 houses is in progress.
Since 1997, a total of 7,08,003 families have been rehabilitated so far.
Tofazzal Hossain Mia, a Senior Secretary to the Prime Minister's Office, said immediately after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took office in 1996, she expressed her desire to provide shelter to the ethnic groups living on the plains.
He also said that people from the transgender group will also be given land and houses.