Neyamot gets permanent address after 70 years

After living for 70 years under the open sky or at others' residences, Neyamot Ali's fate has finally changed. Thanks to the Ashrayan-2 project, he has been gifted with a semi-pucca house and two-decimal land in Gazipur.

The joy in his voice was palpable as he exclaimed, "Now I can sleep in peace in my own house without worrying that someone might drive me out at any time. I thank the prime minister for providing me with a permanent address during the last days of my life."

For Sabina Akter, a mother of two children and house help, owning a house was just a dream until now. Neither her father's family nor her in-laws have their own house. But things changed for the better as she was also given a house under the project.

"It feels different. I cannot thank the premier enough for such a gift. This year's Eid will be different. My children will observe their first Eid in their own house," said Sabina with tears of joy in her eyes.

A total of 142 houses will be handed over to the beneficiaries at Nayapara in Gazipur's Sreepur upazila. Each house will be brick-walled, roofed with colourful tin-shed, have concrete floors, two bedrooms with a tin canopy, a kitchen, toilet, and an open front porch. The Nayapara project site will also have a primary school, playground, mosque, and community centre.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will virtually kick off the handover ceremony of the fourth phase of the project today, and 39,365 people in Gazipur, Sylhet and Barishal will receive houses.

Iqbal Hossain Shabuj, the lawmaker of Gazipur -3 constituency and general secretary of Gazipur district unit Awami League, promised to arrange employment for those who received houses.

"We want them to be self-dependent and join hands in building the nation," he said.