DHAKA, Oct 04, 2020 (BSS) – The World Habitat Day-2020 will be observed
tomorrow in the country as elsewhere in the world in a bid to raise awareness
among people about safe and habitable residence for all.
The United Nations designated the first Monday of October of every year as
World Habitat Day to reflect on the state of towns and cities, and on the
basic right of all to adequate shelter.
The Day is also intended to remind the world that we all have the power and
the responsibility to shape the future of our cities and towns.
The theme of the year is ‘Housing for all: A better urban future’.
On the eve of the day, President M Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina issued separate messages.
In his message, President M Abdul Hamid has urged all concerned, including
the public and private organisations, to take coordinated efforts to ensure
safe and habitable residence for the people of all strata of life.
He said in light of vision 2021, the government has formulated an urban
development plan aiming to fulfill the demands of habitation and civic
services of the people. In the 7th Five Year Plan emphasis has been given on
ensuring inhabitation for all taking into consideration the environment,
basic services and level of urbanization, he added.
The President said the government has been working to reach urban
facilities to villages to fulfill the commitment of Father of the Nation
Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman for removing urban-rural disparity.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in her message termed this year’s theme of the
day ‘Housing for all: A better urban future’ as time-befitting especially in
the backdrop of Covid-19 and climate change.
After the independence, she said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh
Mujibur Rahman had taken various measures to solve the residence crisis of
the people by including the issue of removing urban-rural disparity in the
country’s constitution.
She said Awami League government is committed to ensuring habitation for
all and it has been working relentlessly to ensure a thriving urbanization
through creating a planned habitation for all. The government through the
National Housing Authority has taken projects for developing plots and flats
in district and upazila levels, she said, adding that the government has a
plan to build 16,000 flats slum dwellers.
The Prime Minister hoped that the Ministry of Housing and Public Works
should play more active role to ensure sustainable housing for all to turn
the country into a developed one by 2041 and thus build a “Sonar Bangla” as
dreamt by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.