Sani Talk Café session 4 highlights leadership and learning from Bangladesh’s CWIS mentor cities

The fourth session of SaniTalk Café, held on 21 October 2025, focused on the theme “Mentor Cities: Leading Changes from Sanitation Service to Sanitation System.” Organized as a special event to celebrate National Sanitation Month 2025, the session brought together more than forty-five participants representing municipalities, NGOs, academia, and development partners. Representatives from Kushtia, Faridpur, Lakshmipur, Jhenaidah, Sakhipur, Saidpur, Lalmonirhat, and Rajbari Pourashava actively participated in the dialogue, along with institutions such as Practical Action Bangladesh, BASA Foundation, ITN-BUET, DPHE, AIT and SNV.

The session was moderated by Kazi Amin, Knowledge Management Specialist, ITN-BUET, and featured municipal representatives who shared their experiences and insights. Raisa Habib, Research Assistant at ITN-BUET, delivered a presentation on “Mentor Cities: Transforming Urban Sanitation,” showcasing how selected cities are emerging as regional learning hubs for Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) through innovation, knowledge exchange, and peer learning.

During the panel discussion, participants shared practical experiences and approaches to strengthening local sanitation systems. Ranver Ahmad, Town Planner, Kushtia Municipality, discussed Kushtia’s progress in implementing the Integrated Municipal Information System (IMIS), sanitation tax, and sanitation by-laws to institutionalize effective sanitation management. Md. Shamsul Alam, Executive Engineer, Faridpur Municipality, reflected on the role of cooperatives and the municipality’s overall journey toward integrating CWIS within local operations. Mohammad Zulfiqur Hossain, Executive Engineer, Lakshmipur Municipality, highlighted Lakshmipur’s success in operating Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTPs) and using IMIS for data-driven management. Md. Mahbubur Rahman, Executive Engineer, Sakhipur Municipality, presented Sakhipur’s innovative use of Black Soldier Fly technology for sustainable organic waste management, while Md. Badar Uddin, SDO, Jhenaidah Municipality, shared experiences on introducing and managing a sanitation tax to ensure financial sustainability of sanitation services.

The discussion underscored how Mentor Cities are leading the transition from fragmented sanitation services to system-wide, sustainable solutions, fostering innovation, collaboration, and capacity building among municipalities to advance Bangladesh’s Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) agenda.