The Housing Fund, a government fund, and the Bangladesh Krishi Bank (BKB) Sunday signed a loan agreement worth Tk 20 million aiming to expedite the homeless people's rehabilitation activities under "Ghare Fera Karmashuchi (go back home project)."
"The activities of the Ghare Fera Karmashuchi was not getting momentum chiefly due to lack of easily-obtainable fund. The money, given by the Housing Fund to the BKB for the project, will significantly benefit especially the slum dwellers," Dr Atiur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank Governor, said.
"Because, among others, this fund can be obtained at only 6 per cent interest rate and the beneficiaries will get it for income generating activities besides housing," he said.
Dr Rahman was speaking at the chief guest at the deal signing ceremony held at the central bank in the city.
M. Mahfuzur Rahman, member secretary of the Housing Fund and Executive Director of the BB, and Md Abdus Salam, Managing Director of BKB, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
The fund aims at rehabilitating mainly the city slum dwellers to the rural areas, lessening the population pressure especially in the capital Dhaka, officials said.
The Housing Fund is actually a government fund and run by the BB, Prime Minister's principal secretary is the chairman of the fund while Ghare Fera Karmashuchi is a project under the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), officials said.
Under the programme, the eligible borrowers each can get loan up to Tk 50,000 for housing and Tk 30,000-40,000 for their income generating activities; the later part is a new feature of the project.
The BKB will receive the Tk 20 million from the Housing Fund at only 2 per cent interest while the bank will lend to the beneficiaries at only 6 per cent inertest annually.
Dr Rahman said that if the BKB can ensure quality utilization of the Tk 20 million, so far there would be no problem for the Housing Fund to increase the finance in the future. In case of its fund-shortage, the governor assured of supporting from the central bank in this connection.
Explaining importance of the Ghare Fera Karmashuchi, Dr Rahman said that having a good house bears diverse types of benefits to the poor people; among others, they can work and their children can study at the house even during the rainy time while homeless situation prevented them to do so.
