Public toilet inaugurated at Gulshan 2 in Dhaka city

Dhaka officially has more than a hundred public toilets, but in reality, many do not function properly - some are even turned into use for shop keeping or as storerooms. They are usually dirty, dark and unusable for women, children and persons with disabilities. For the city’s 20 million inhabitants, the crisis of public sanitation is an ongoing struggle that affects multiple aspects of daily life.

Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation and Dhaka WASA, in partnership with WaterAid Bangladesh, have been working in the last few years to provide clean, safe and hygienic public toilets for the country’s citizens. Through this collaboration, several modern, accessible public toilets have already been constructed throughout the city, with facilities such as disability-friendly spaces, locker room, showers, safe drinking water supply, sanitary napkin supply, and CCTV camera monitoring for security - all managed by professional male and female caretakers.

Today, Dhaka North City Corporation in collaboration with WaterAid Bangladesh inaugurated another modern public toilet at Gulshan 2 in Dhaka, funded by the H&M Foundation. The toilet was inaugurated jointly by Mr. Osman Gani, Panel Mayor, Dhaka North City Corporation. Md Mesbahul Islam, CEO, DNCC was present in the event.

During the inauguration, Mr. Osman Gani stated that "With the inauguration of today’s public toilet, I believe everyone will be benefitted. Such facilities are rare in our country, and when established they fall apart due to not being maintained properly and regularly. I would request not only users, but all of us to help in keeping these facilities neat and clean. Let’s all come together in enjoying these toilet’s facilities for a better tomorrow. A safer and healthier environment.”

Dr. Md. Khairul Islam, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh stated ‘Clean and safe public toilets are the right of every citizen. Ensuring sanitary, easy to use, accessible and secure facilities is an urgent necessity for public health, and will make an enormous contribution to making life easier for common Bangladeshis’.

With the collective effort of local government, service providers, civil society and the media, proper public sanitation for all can soon become a reality.

Present at the inauguration was also Mr. Mofizur Rahman, Councilor of ward no. 19, Dhaka North City Corporation.

Dhaka, 21 January 2018