Chief Adviser Hands Over New Homes to Families Affected by Floods
Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus has officially handed over the keys to newly constructed homes built for families severely affected by last year’s floods in southeastern Bangladesh.
The handover ceremony took place virtually on Wednesday, April 30, from the Chief Adviser’s office in Tejgaon. The initiative was launched following the devastating floods in August and September of 2024, which rendered many people homeless, particularly in Feni, Noakhali, Cumilla, and Chattogram districts.
Under government directives, a total of 300 homes were constructed for the most vulnerable families—those who lost their homes entirely and lacked the means to rebuild. Selection was based on criteria such as income level, damage severity, and local prioritization.
Committees led by the Deputy Commissioners and supported by representatives from the Armed Forces Division and the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief conducted detailed surveys to identify the beneficiaries.
The allocation included:
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Feni: 110 homes
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Noakhali: 90 homes
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Cumilla: 70 homes
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Chattogram: 30 homes
To ensure the homes were disaster-resilient and sustainable, two structural designs were developed with input from the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and the Armed Forces Division. Each home includes two main rooms, a shared space, kitchen, toilet, and a veranda.
Design specifications:
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Design 1: 492 sq ft, estimated cost BDT 7.25 lakh
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Design 2: 500 sq ft, estimated cost BDT 7.26 lakh
Around BDT 25 crore has been spent on the project, funded by the Chief Adviser’s Relief Fund. The Bangladesh Army successfully completed the construction of 298 houses, with the remaining two awaiting resolution of land-related issues.
During the ceremony, Chief Adviser Yunus congratulated the recipients and thanked all agencies involved—particularly the local administration, LGED engineers, Armed Forces Division, and officials from the Ashrayan Project.
Praising the Army’s timely execution of the project, he said, “This may be a small-scale project, but it stands as an example of doing things right, which can inspire further initiatives.”
Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman reaffirmed the Army’s commitment to undertaking such responsibilities in the future. Also speaking at the event were Faruk-e-Azam, Advisor to the Disaster Management Ministry, Principal Secretary Siraj Uddin Mia, and Lt. Gen. SM Kamrul Hasan from the Bangladesh Army.
Beneficiaries from the four districts joined virtually to express gratitude and share their thoughts during the ceremony, moderated by Ashrayan-2 Project Director Md. Monirul Islam Patwari.