A total 669 rural families in Dinajpur's Kaharol upazila, including 195 indigenous families, now have access to better sanitation facilities with newly constructed proper toilets for each family.

The move comes in response to a survey conducted by the upazila administration in collaboration with four non-government organisations in March this year that revealed that these 669 families had no access to proper sanitation.

Aminul Islam, UNO of the upazila, led the initiative, and World Vision, an NGO, implemented it by constructing the toilets for the families, each at an average cost of Tk 14,500, and equipped with necessary sanitation facilities.

However, the initiative faced some obstacles, including persuading the families to allocate a small plot of their land for construction of toilet, said UNO Aminul.

Photo: Star

"Once they understood the necessity of proper sanitation, they agreed to it," he said.

"Earlier, we had to rely on nearby bushes for our daily needs, which lacked privacy and security. Now we have access to better sanitation with privacy," said Rita Soren, a beneficiary of the initiative.

Lauding the initiative, Shital Mardi, president of Jatiya Adivasi Parishad's Dinajpur chapter, said, "Many poor rural families cannot construct toilets due to the cost. Such initiatives will benefit these families and take forward Bangladesh's broader campaign for sanitation equality, a goal tied to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)."