GAIBANDHA, – Some 10 families of minority ethnic group under Sona Roy union in Sundarganj upazila of the district got pucca houses from the government at free of cost yesterday.

The Upazila Administration implemented the construction of the houses with financial support of the Prime Minister’s Special Development Fund, office sources said.

In this regard, a simple function, organised by the Upazila Administration, was held at Saitantola Bazar of the union with Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mohammad Al- Maruf in the chair.

Local lawmaker Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary addressed the function as the chief guest.

Local Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Badirul Ahsan Selim, local Jatiya Party leaders Ansar Ali Sarder and Abdul Mannan Mondal addressed it, among others.

Barrister Shameem Haider Patwary said the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had taken up an initiative to provide brick-built houses for the landless and homeless including the families of minority ethnic group of the country to improve their living standard in the society.

“Accordingly, the houses are being built for them across the country,” he said, adding that the government would ensure accommodation for all marking the Mujib Year, the birth centenary of Father of the Nation and architect of independent Bangladesh Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

Later, the lawmaker handed over the houses with its ownership documents to 10 families of minority ethnic group of the union.

UNO Mohammad Al- Maruf said a total of 20 houses are being built for the families of the minority ethnic group of the union. Of them, 10 houses were distributed and the rest houses are under construction.

After completion of the construction, the houses would be handed over to the selected people in the upazila within time, he concluded.

All the beneficiary families expressed their gratefulness to the government for standing beside them with the brick-built houses at free of cost.