Two new public toilets inaugurated in Dhaka

Unavailability of public toilets is one of the most pressing issues in Bangladesh. Existing public toilets are mostly unusable, often lacking sanitation facilities of even minimum standards, leading to increasing incidents of public urination and defecation, said a WaterAid press release. Women and the poverty-stricken are most affected by the lack of proper facilities. In order to address this issue, Dhaka South City Corporation, in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh and Concerned Women for Family Development (CWFD), inaugurated two modern public toilets in Doyaganj in Dhaka on Monday. Funded by the Kimberly-Clark Foundation, this project has constructed several modern public toilets throughout the city over the past few months, each of which includes uninterrupted electricity, CCTV cameras, professional cleaners and female caretakers. Lovely Chowdhury, councilor of wards 39, 40 and 49 of Dhaka South City Corporation, and Director of Programmes and Policy Advocacy of WaterAid Bangladesh Dr Md Liakath Ali were present at the inauguration. WaterAid Bangladesh has long been collaborating with the Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) and the capital’s North and South city corporations to improve the sanitation and water supply of the city as well as the country at large.