Cluster village dwellers deprived of facilities at Char Fasson

CHAR FASSON, BHOLA, Oct 19: Due to lack of management and supervision, the cluster village project of the government is not properly implemented in Char Fasson Upazila of the district.
Local administration is stressing the need for identifying the problems to be solved.
Char Nizam is a part of coastal Dhalchar Union in Char Fasson Upazila. It is surrounded by the Meghna River. In Char Nizam, at least 7,000 river erosion victims and destitute people have taken shelter. Boat is the only medium for communication for them. They are living in a subhuman condition.
Remote char-dwellers are always neglected, and they are deprived of all basic facilities including health, education and communication. Since 2017 to 2020, a total of 230 houses have been built in four cluster villages. These were constructed at Tk 206 crore.
Dweller Wahab Ali said, "We have yet to get paper of our house. There is no road for going out. Children cannot play. We cannot go to mosque for prayer."
A total of 10,928 houses have been built in seven upazilas of Bhola District. Of these, 6,489 houses have been distributed among poor people. The remaining ones are lying empty.
Locals complained, the reason behind raising houses in chars without communication and employment facilities is money looting by contractors, administrative officers and public representatives. They don't have any concern about whether these houses are livable, they added.
Under the project terms, cluster villages will be raised in such places where there are spaces for education, drinking water, employment opportunities and economic activities. But local public representatives declined to shoulder blame for breaching the project term.
Dweller Rahim Ali Bayati said, "Before bringing us to cluster villages, we were asked on behalf of the government that houses would be connected with solar power and gas ovens to cook. We were also assured of installment based loans, so that we can live on businesses. Now we see nothing here."
By June 20 in 2021, a total of 50 houses including 18 in one place and 32 in other place of Munshirhat area of Neelkamal Union under Char Fasson Upazila were given among homeless people; by January 23, 90 houses built in Madraj, Hazariganj, Char Manika, Jahanpur and Char Kukri Mukri unions were distributed.
These houses were distributed on the occasion of Mujib Barsho.
After getting houses, Noortaj Begum, Kohinur and many others became delighted. But despite getting Ashrayan houses, they are facing various problems. Ashrayan Dweller Jamila Khatun said, "We are in communication problem here. Stranded water is on yard. No water receding system."
After getting houses, no other facilities were provided to them, said recipients Rina Begum, Noor Nahar and Abul Kalam.
Suruj Maji said, they are receiving threat from local influential. Local hoodlums come to say, if you don't want to stay in houses, then get away.
In such fear, they cannot go out. If they go ever to hospital for one/two days, they remain in fear of losing their houses.
Neelkamal Union Chairman Alamgir Hossain Hawladar said, he is trying to provide whatever facility is coming. In future, houses will be brought under different facilities, he added.
Upazila Project Implementation Officer Anisur Rahman said, all necessary measures are being taken in phase to make abjectly poor families in the society self-reliant.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Al Noman said, water and employment facilities will be provided soon.