PM opens climate refugee rehab scheme in Cox’s Bazar

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday reiterated her steadfast commitment to ensure housing for all, including the flood and river erosion-hit people, as she inaugurated rehabilitation project for the climate refugees in Cox’s Bazar.

‘We’re celebrating the Mujib Barsho, marking the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Our aim in his birth centenary is that a single person will not remain homeless. We’ll construct a house, even at least a ‘chala’ (shed), for every person. In any way, we’ll do it and it’s our goal,’ she told a function.

The prime minister opened the landmark ‘Khurushkul Ashrayan Prokalpa’, the country’s largest rehabilitation project, in Khurushkul area on the outskirts of the southeastern beach town of Cox’s Bazar through a videoconference from her official Ganabhaban residence in the morning.

Referring to the ongoing flood situation in the country, the prime minister said her government had all preparations to combat the flood and would make arrangements for building houses and allotment of land for those who would be affected by the flooding and river erosion.

‘We know that the menace of flood is being seen a little bit more (this season). This is Bengali month of Shraban and more water will come in Bhadra month meaning that the country may witness more flooding in August-September,’ she said.

‘We’ve the preparation to face the flood and we’ve an aim that we’ll make arrangements for building houses and (allotment of) land for those who will be affected by the flooding and river erosion,’ he added.

The prime minister said that her government had allocated money separately in the budget for constructing houses for the homeless people so that a single person did not remain homeless.

‘We’re working in this way and I would like to tell the people of entire Bangladesh that a single person will not stay homeless and every person will live beautifully,’ she said.

Sheikh Hasina said that giving attention to this, her government had taken tree plantation campaign in one hand, while it had taken steps to build houses for the homeless on the other. ‘We’ll look into the matter so that the living standard of every person is improved,’ she said.

Chief of army staff General Aziz Ahmed spoke on the occasion, while principal staff officer of the Armed Forces Division Lt Gen Md Mahfuzur Rahman and senior officials of the Prime Minister’s Office were present at Ganabhaban.

PM’s principal secretary Ahmad Kaikaus moderated the function at Ganabhaban, while three beneficiaries of the project spoke from Cox’s Bazar.

Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner moderated the function in Cox’s Bazar, while General Officer Commanding of the area Major General Md Main Ullah Chowdhury, local Awami League president Sirajul Mostafa and some other leaders joined the videoconference from there.

Local parliament members and officials of the administration and the project were present in Cox’s Bazar.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net