Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterdsay said the continuity of the government is essential to maintain the continuity of the country’s development activities, reports UNB. “For the continuity of development, the continuity of government is very much essential ....we’ve been able to unleash development works in an appropriate manner as we’ve been in power since 2008,” she said.

The Prime Minister said this while laying the foundation stones of two projects for constructing rental-based flats for slum dwellers in city’s Mirpur and another for constructing residential flats on abandoned plots in city’s Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur areas through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.

The government is constructing some 10,000 flats for slum-dwellers at Mirpur Section-11 while 253 flats for government officials and common people in Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur areas in the capital.

The two projects are ‘Construction of Rental-Based Residential Flats for the Slum Dwellers at Mirpur Housing Estate in Mirpur Section-11 (First Phase)’ and ‘Construction of Residential Flats on Abandoned Plots at Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur’.

National Housing Authority will implement the first phase of the project titled ‘Rental-based residential flat project for the slum dwellers’ with an estimated cost of Tk 111 crore to be entirely borne from the National Housing Authority’s own fund.

The project will be implemented in two phases and a total of 10,000 flats would be constructed on some 10 acres of land at Section-11, Mirpur Housing Estate, Mirpur, Dhaka.

In the first phase, some 533 flats will be built in five 14-storey buildings on some 2 acres of land with each of the flats measuring 483 square feet.

In the 2nd phase, some 9,467 flats will be built in some 80 buildings (14-storey).

Each of the flats will have two bedrooms, living-cum-dining room, kitchen, bathroom, separate toilets and one veranda.

About 50 percent of the project area will have a field, park, greenery, roads while the entire service lines like water supply and power connections will go through underground common duct. Each of the building will have two modern lifts which would be operated by skilled operators of the National Housing Authority.

About the allocation of flats and rent realisation management, the National Housing Authority will make the list of the area-wise slum families and the Authority will give the allocation on priority basis.

The tenants will be able to pay the monthly rent through money receipt or invoice to the National Housing Authority through the designated bank while a provision will also be there to pay the rent on daily basis or through mobile banking.

The tenants will have to pay the service charges and other utility bills to the building committee in the first half of the month.

Meanwhile, the National Housing Authority will construct some 253 flats on 2.07 acres of land at Dhanmondi and Mohammadpur with an estimated cost of Tk 373 crore to be entirely borne from the Authority’s own fund.

Of the flats, 202 flats will be sold among the government officials and common people while the remaining 51 will be handed over to the National Housing Authority.

The allotted person will be able to pay the price of the flat at a time or more than one installments and he or she will be able to pay the 50 percent price of the flat through installments in four years without any interest.

The flat recipient will be able to pay the rest of 50 percent price of each flat at 9 percent flat annual interest rate in 16 years while the flat recipients will also be able to pay the price of the flats through online banking or through invoice.

Housing and Public Works Minister Engineer Mosharraf Hossain also spoke on the occasion while PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury conducted the function.

Sheikh Hasina also exchanged views with the future beneficiaries of the two projects through videoconferencing where Sheikh Fazle Nur Taposh, MP was present at the Dhanmondi end while Ilias Uddin Mollah, MP was present at the Mirpur end.

Hasina also renewed her pledge to ensure housing for all, saying that no one will remain homeless in the country. “Our policy is clear that there’ll be no single person without home in Bangladesh.”

The Prime Minister said her government has been working tirelessly to bring smile to the faces of the distressed people, including the slum-dwellers. “We don’t want slums to exist in the country as it’s not for any respectable country.”

She said the slum-dwellers are also human beings. “They also have the right to live with dignity and it’s our responsibility to protect their rights. The government is also making arrangements for housing for all in the entire country, not only in Dhaka.”

While talking about the capital’s water-logging problem, Hasina said this problem has been created due to filling up of ponds, canals and other waterbodies in an unplanned way.

“Waterbodies will have to be kept everywhere to stop water-logging and protect the environment,” she said.