The Ashrayan Project (), also known as the Ashrayan-2 Project, is a development project funded by the

Government of Bangladesh The government of the People's Republic of Bangladesh () is the central government of Bangladesh. The government was constituted by the Constitution of Bangladesh comprising the executive (the president, prime minister and cabinet), the ...

under the auspices of the Prime Minister's Office to build homes for homeless and displaced people. Joint Secretary Md. Mahbub Hossain is the head of the project.

History

The Ashrayan Project was established in 1997 by the

Bangladesh Awami League The Awami League, officially known as Bangladesh Awami League, is a major List of political parties in Bangladesh, political party in Bangladesh. The oldest existing political party in the country, the party played the leading role in achievin ...

government to be responsible for building homes for the homeless. In 2018, the project announced plans to complete 139 multilevel buildings in Cox's Bazar for 250-thousand homeless families by 2019. The buildings were to be constructed by the Armed Forces Division. In Naldanga Upazila, the project recipients alleged that the local Union Member and Bangladesh Jubo League members were asking families for bribes to ensure enrollment in the project.

Ashrayan-3

The government announced an expansion of the project, Ashrayan-3, to build 100-thousand homes for

Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh are forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals from Rakhine State who are living in Bangladesh. The Rohingya people have experienced ethnic and religious persecution in Myanmar for decades. Hundreds of thousands have fle ...

Bhasan Char Bhasan Char (), also known as Char Bhasani (), is an island in Hatiya Upazila, Bangladesh. Until 2019 it was known as Thengar Char. It is located in the Bay of Bengal, about from Sandwip island and from the mainland. Geography Bhasan Char lie ...

, Hatiya Upazila,

Noakhali District Noakhali District (), historically known as Bhulua (), is a Districts of Bangladesh, district in southeastern Bangladesh, located in Chattogram Division. It was established as a district in 1821, and officially named Noakhali in 1868. The distr ...

. In January 2020 the project was moving forward despite opposition from Rohingya leaders and human rights groups. Bangladesh's minister for refugee affairs stated the island is “ready for habitation,” though he gave no timetable for the relocation. The government has not permitted foreign journalists or Rohingya leaders to travel to Bhasan Char. The island is less than 20 years old, and some think there is no guarantee that it will not disappear in the next monsoon.

References

1997 establishments in Bangladesh Organisations based in Dhaka Government agencies of Bangladesh {{Bangladesh-org-stub