Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Sunday handed over keys to newly built homes to six families whose houses were destroyed by the recent floods in Banshkhali upazila of Chattogram.
He also distributed cash assistance and relief supplies among flood-affected people.
The handover took place at a programme at the West Banshkhali High School and College ground in Baharchhara Union around 1:30pm.
Ten people with special needs received cash assistance at the event, while four others were given relief materials. The remaining assistance will be delivered through the district administration, officials at the programme said.
The initiative is part of a government rehabilitation programme for families whose homes were destroyed or badly damaged in the floods.
According to the district administration, 100 families from Banshkhali Municipality and nine unions have been selected to receive new homes. The families were selected based on the extent of damage to their houses and their inability to rebuild using their own resources.
Each house has two rooms and an attached toilet. The structures were built using RCC pillars, wood and corrugated metal sheets, with disaster resilience taken into consideration, officials said.
Banshkhali was among the worst-hit areas in Chattogram during the recent floods. Many homes in coastal communities, particularly those of fishing families and people living in mud houses, were completely or partially destroyed.
With their homes damaged or washed away, many families were forced to take shelter in the open or stay with relatives.
The prime minister’s visit drew a large crowd to Baharchhara from the morning. Local BNP and affiliated organisation leaders and activists, as well as residents from different parts of the upazila, gathered at the venue near the sea beach. The venue was packed before noon.
The visit was Tarique Rahman’s first trip to Chattogram since he took office as prime minister.
As part of his daylong tour, he was scheduled to visit Matarbari in Maheshkhali and several areas of Chattogram, including Banshkhali, Fatikchhari and Hathazari, to participate in programmes for flood victims.
Tarique Rahman left Dhaka for Maheshkhali by helicopter in the morning.
After Banshkhali, he was scheduled to visit Fatikchhari and Hathazari for further rehabilitation activities. His itinerary also included a meeting with leaders and activists of Hefazat-e-Islam and visits to the graves of Maulana Ahmed Shafi and Junaid Babunagari.
He was later scheduled to attend an organisational meeting at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Chattogram city.
