SaniTalk Café Session–3 explores pathways to self-reliant FSTP in Bangladesh

The third session of SaniTalk Café, held on 9 September 2025, brought together more than 75 participants representing government agencies, municipalities, NGOs, academia, private sector operators, and international development partners. Representatives from 10 municipalities – including Lalmonirhat, Kushtia, Laxmipur, Jhenaidah, Rajbari, Nakla Pourashava actively joined the discussion, alongside institutions and NGOs such as Practical Action Bangladesh, BASA Foundation, ITN-BUET, DPHE, UNICEF Bangladesh, SNV. The dialogue focused on strategies for sustaining fecal sludge treatment plants (FSTPs) in Bangladesh beyond external support.

The session, themed “The Road to Self-Reliance: Sustaining FSTPs Beyond External Support”, was moderated by Uttam Kumar Shaha, country manager, WSUP and featured an expert panel comprising Md. Shafiqul Hassan, Co-chair, CWIS-FSM Support Cell, DPHE, Mosharof Hossain, proprietor, Golden Clean and Traders, Syed Adnan Ibna Hakim, WASH Specialist, UNICEF, and Alauddin Ahmed, Project Manager, ITN-BUET.

Raisa Habib, Research Assistant at ITN-BUET, presented on the “Realities and Current Situation of FSTPs in Bangladesh”, shedding light on operational trends, management models, and performance gaps across the country.

The dialogue underscored critical challenges in local government ownership, accountability, and coordination, while also highlighting opportunities for strengthening sustainability. Panelists emphasized the importance of scheduled desludging programs, effective monitoring systems, and robust business models. They also pointed to innovative solutions such as co-treatment with other waste streams and multi-purpose land use models to improve efficiency and revenue generation.

Participants further discussed the role of the private sector, underlining the need for regulatory reforms, behavior change interventions, and collective platforms such as cooperatives to enhance service delivery.

The session reaffirmed that achieving self-reliant and sustainable FSTPs will require an integrated approach combining policy, financing, technical support, and private sector engagement, in alignment with Bangladesh’s Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) agenda.

Find the recordings and resources available on SaniRepo (www.sanirepo.com)