WaterAid Bangladesh and TBS join hands to promote Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene

WaterAid Bangladesh, a UK-based international NGO, and The Business Standard, a leading national English-language daily, have signed a strategic partnership agreement to amplify Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) issues through continuous media engagement.

The agreement was formalised today (29 November) at TBS's Eskaton office, with Inam Ahmed, editor of TBS, and Hasin Jahan, country director of WaterAid Bangladesh, signing the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations. Senior representatives from both sides were also present at the event.

Under the agreement, TBS will act as a strategic media partner – publishing WASH-focused reporting, in-depth feature stories, special supplements and multimedia content such as podcasts and short videos. The objective is to bring lived experiences and expert insights about WASH to wider audiences and influence public discourse and policymaking.

WaterAid points out that while Bangladesh has made progress in water, sanitation, and hygiene, access remains inadequate and service quality is often poor. National estimates indicate that about 59.1% of the population uses safely managed drinking water and 37.3% uses safely managed sanitation, with progress varying across regions and communities. Rising climate stress and rapid urbanisation have exacerbated the situation and widened inequality. 

WaterAid Bangladesh and TBS have teamed up to address these challenges through sustained public awareness campaigns and influencing policymaking.