Unicef, WaterAid call for stronger sanitation management in Bangladesh

UNICEF and WaterAid along with SNV and ITN-BUET emphasised the critical need for accelerated progress in sanitation and hygiene.

During the International Toilet Conference 2025 held in Dhaka today (25 February), the international agencies stated that an estimated 230 tonnes of fecal waste end up in open water bodies in Dhaka daily. 

This contributes to significant environmental pollution and serious health risks for marginalised communities, especially impacting children, reads a press release.

They also noted that more than 65 million people, over one-third of Bangladesh's population, still lack access to safely managed sanitation.

"Children have benefitted from commendable progress in the elimination of open defecation in Bangladesh, a serious threat to their health and their development - achieved at a faster pace than most countries. But last year, we all saw how these advances for children can be ravaged by climate hazards like the historical floods in Feni, destroying infrastructure and leaving children exposed," said Rana Flowers, UNICEF Representative in Bangladesh. 

He said, "Children have the right to grow up in a healthy environment, and the lack of proper sanitation prevents them from growing healthy and safe. To ensure proper sanitation for the most marginalised, including women and children, Bangladesh needs to keep working on private-sector partnerships, and investing in the WASH sector, strengthening regulatory mechanisms for quality service and sustainability, while reducing contamination and reliance on groundwater."