Country’s about 97 percent of people have been brought under advanced sanitation in last ten years from 2009-2019, according to a government statistics.
Bangladesh has made significant progress in stopping open defecation. However, ensuring healthy sanitation is still a challenge.
Yesterday, while addressing the nation via television broadcast, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina echoed the same.
She said, “in the meantime 95% of the people are getting electricity service and 97% came under advanced sanitation.”
The use of healthy toilets in Bangladesh is increasing steadily, affirmed several health experts.
Once open toilets were seen in most homes in remote areas but now the situation has changed a lot.
Earlier, former Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith in a budget speech given in the 2013-14 fiscal year, said that with the best of our efforts, 90 percent of the families were able to be brought under sanitation.
Current Local government minister Tajul Islam has said that 'unprecedented' progress has been made in Bangladesh's sanitation and hygiene sector.
He said, "We cannot ignore the current sanitation, cleanliness, and availability of safe water in Bangladesh. At a time when the people of the country were absolutely in the dark about a good sanitation system, an unprecedented improvement has taken place over the years.”
The minister also said, "We have included the issue of cleanliness in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We are committed to this and in this case, we have taken the necessary steps in all the cities and villages.”
Initiatives have also been taken to protect reservoirs and prevent pollution, including the establishment of environment-friendly sanitation and safe water rights, he said.
The majority of those who are deprived of minimum sanitation facilities in the world live in India. Human waste pollute river and canal water. There are billions of people drinking polluted water because there is not enough drainage and purification system.
Social Science Researcher Shakilur Rahman of Netherlands based NGO in Dhaka said, “Pure water supply and sanitation are very important for the well-being of the people. One of the main goals of the government is to ensure pure water supply and sanitation in line with the the financial condition of the people of the country.
The Union Council has a Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Standing Committee, which works on the development of pure water and sanitation systems. They encourage and help people to build and use sanitary latrines, he added.
The government has taken initiatives to ensure separate wash block (sanitation system) for the students in all educational institutions in the country to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG-4).
According to the Ministry of Education, the government wants to meet the challenge of education to achieve the SDG target before 2030.
In achieving SDGs for inclusive, quality and non-discriminatory education initiatives have been taken to ensure separate sanitation area for women.
As part of this, sanitation will be ensured in all primary schools of the country by 2023 and in schools, colleges and madrasas by 2026.
