Bangladesh is a country where natural calamity occurs frequently. Flood, cyclone, draught etc are the common phenomenon of this land and people. The devastating tidal bore and cyclone of 1970 displaced a huge population and made millions homeless. Subsequently after the liberation of Bangladesh, the Government under the dynamic leadership of The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman came forward with programmes to rehabilitate those affected and other landless people on Government khas land (government owned land)of the country.
The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, visited Ramgati Thana of the then Noakhali district on 20th February, 1972 and inaugurated “Poragacha Cluster Village”- to rehabilitate assetless, rootless and landless families. The concept and idea of rehabilitating rootless rural poor people on khas land came from The Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. He advised Ministry of Land Administration and Land Reforms Division to take initiative to maximize the utilization of Khas land by establishing "Cluster Village" for the rehabilitation of cyclone and river erosion affected asset less and landless families in the Char Areas of Noakhali District (greater) as a pilot project.
As a result, 1470 landless families were rehabilitated in four cluster Villages one at Char Clerk under Subarnacher Upazila, one at Char Diara Balua under Companigonj Upazila of Noakhali District, one at Char Poragacha under Ramgati Upazila of Lakshmipur District and one at Char Darbesh under Sonagazi Upazila of Feni District and 21 ponds were excavated in above-mentioned Cluster Villages.
The programme of rehabilitation for asset less and landless families was followed through various land reform initiatives focusing on the distribution of khas land to landless families. Since that date the ‘Cluster Village’ or 'Adarsha Gram' approach to land reform and poverty alleviation has been included in all relevant planning documents of GOB. Bangladesh Government already rehabilitated 45,647 families in 1080 Adarsha Grams and 25,385 families in 427 Adarsha Grams through Adarsha Gram Project-I & II respectively. Adarsha Gram Project was financed by Bangladesh govt. and European Union jointly.
The Adarsha gram phase II project ended on 31st December, 2008. The present government approved a new project of similar nature titled "Guchhogram (CVRP)" project on 4th May 2009.
