A community-led housing initiative in Jamalpur village of Nirmoil union in Patnitala upazila, Naogaon, has won international recognition.
The initiative received a Collective Housing Award at an international forum held in the Thai capital, Bangkok, on 26 October. Its experience was submitted for the award through the Platform of Community Action and Architecture (POCAA), and it was later selected in the Collective Initiatives of the Community category.
To deal with their lack of housing, a group of landless people jointly established their right to land, saved together, made proper use of shared resources and took decisions together. Through this, 49 landless families built their own homes on khas (state-owned) land.
Thailand’s deputy prime minister, Professor Dr Yossanan Wongsawat, and UN-Habitat executive director Anacláudia Rossbach attended the award ceremony.
“This success has come from the joint efforts of a group of landless people and from decisions taken together,” said Asir Uddin, local representative of The Hunger Project Bangladesh.
Patnitala upazila nirbahi officer Rifat Ara said: “This achievement by the people of Jamalpur village is a matter of great pride for The Hunger Project Bangladesh and for the whole country. It shows that local leadership, joint effort and the proper use of their own resources can set a rare example of sustainable and inclusive development.”
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report