Structural Violence and Social Development: A Study of Ashrayan-2 Project

Structural Violence and Social Development: A Study of Ashrayan-2 Project

Tanzim Ahmed
Research Officer, Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies, Bangladesh
DOI: https://doi.org/10.51244/IJRSI.2023.10618
Received: 05 June 2023; Revised: 20 June 2023; Accepted: 24 June 2023; Published: 21 July 2023

Abstract: The Ashrayan Project, established under the auspices of the esteemed Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Bangladesh, endeavors to furnish lodging and property entitlements to impoverished and landless households. The endeavor has accomplished a notable feat in enabling the female population, upholding social safety, fostering enhancement of manpower, attaining economic progress, equipping rural vicinities with urban amenities, encouraging ecological durability, and enhancing healthcare provisions. The initiative has facilitated the displacement of more than 524,244 households since its establishment in 1997 while being in conformity with the objectives of the Sustainable Development Goals. The initiative seeks to offer resilient housing to communities that are susceptible to the impact of environmental crises, including climate change and natural disasters, with a focus on those who are particularly vulnerable. This distinct undertaking has facilitated the advancement of collective growth at an effortless rate, yielding advantages for underprivileged groups and lowering disparities. The endeavor has unveiled novel prospects for enhancement in familial, communal, and financial advancement in Bangladesh.

Keywords: Ashrayan- 2 Project, Social Safety, Displacement, Underprivileged, Disparities

I. Introduction

The Ashrayan-2 Project, also referred to as the Ashrayan Project, is a government initiative under the auspices of the Prime Minister’s Office in Bangladesh, which aims to provide adequate housing options for families without lands or homes, or those who lack stable residences. This scheme involves the construction of housing units designed to benefit the underprivileged and marginalized segments of society, thereby alleviating their housing-related distress. On the 20th of February in the year 1972, the revered figure often referred to as the “Father of the Nation,” Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, embarked upon an undertaking of great social significance. This undertaking consisted of the establishment of a resettlement program aimed at providing a home for the landless and homeless segment of the population, who were experiencing great vulnerability. This program was launched in the village of Charpoddar Gacha, located within the Ramgati Upazila district, which is presently known as the Laxmipur district. Subsequent to the barbaric murder of Bangabandhu on August 15, 1975, perpetrated by elements opposed to the ideals of liberation, initiatives aimed at restoring and advancing the socio-economic status of destitute and landless households within the nation were suspended. It was not until 1996, when the competent daughter of the country’s ruling elite, the Honorable Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, assumed responsibility for the administration, that the benevolent and constructive programs for these disadvantaged individuals were recommenced. She introduced the concept of the “Comprehensive Development Model” to reintegrate the underprivileged population into society through a range of endeavors. In 1997, she initiated the “Ashrayan Project” under the supervision of the Prime Minister’s Office to revive the destitute and homeless individuals of the entire nation. Commencing from Saint Martin Island in Cox’s Bazar district, where the project was first implemented to reconstruct the lives of individuals affected by an intense cyclone that caused damage that same year.
Some special features of the project Ashrayan-2 are:

Women’s Empowerment: Land and property ownership are provided to couples from landless, homeless, destitute, and vulnerable families. Special privileges are given to disabled, river-erosion affected families, freedom fighters, third gender (hijra), elderly, widows, and abandoned spouses. To ensure that the resettled families do not face any complexity in the future regarding land ownership, the Upazila administration registers the land ownership by transferring the registered deed/title, name clearance certificate and mutation in the name of the new owners.

Ensuring Social Security: The benefits of other programs, including allowances for freedom fighters, elderly people, widows, and the disabled, are evaluated with rights.
Human Resource Development: Members of resettled families are given practical and technical training to get involved in various productive and income-generating activities.