ITN-BUET and MAB signed the strategic partnership agreement to promote the CWIS approach in the urban sanitation initiatives in Bangladesh by adopting and mainstreaming the learning from each other’s existing programs.

The CWIS CB Hub aims to support potential cities with CWIS/FSM showcasing areas to establish them as CWIS mentor cities. These cities will work as learning centers to build the capacity of other cities through different learning-sharing programs. Representatives from sector partners sat together to identify the appropriate mechanism to assess the potentialities of cities to become mentors in a workshop organized by ITN-BUET. The event was held on June 12, 2022.

On June 8, 2022, a workshop with the academic partners was held in the ITN Seminar room to further concretize the partnership. Focal persons from CUET, SUST, KUET, RUET and AUW discussed their experiences on WASH capacity-building activities, present strengths and further requirements to collaborate.

ITN-BUET team led by Prof. Dr. Tanvir Ahmed has conducted an independent evaluation for UNICEF for the Sweden Embassy-funded project titled ‘Water Safety for the Wellbeing of Women and Children in Bangladesh’ from October to December 2021.

ITN-BUET has signed a Strategic Partnership Agreement with Administrative Staff College (ASCI) on May 23, 2022 to foster learning and regional leadership.

On 23 April 2022, ITN-BUET Research Committee in its 4th meeting, has approved two research projects on innovative on-site wastewater treatment and waste-to-resource conversion.

Delegates from Bangladesh and Nepal participated in the ‘South Asia Partners – Learning Workshop’, held from March 29 to April 01, 2022, and organized by Dasra, a philanthropic foundation in India. The objectives of the exchange trip were to understand the institutional strengthening and working modalities of the Alliance, learn best practices and models from the CWIS partners in India, understand the capacity-building efforts, and create opportunities for future collaboration.

DPHE is working with the paurashavas to provide safe and affordable FSM services in the cities. An online orientation event on the National Action Plan (NAP) for Implementing IRF-FSM for the paurashavas under this project was organized on 8th March 2022. The event was jointly organized by ITN-BUET and CWIS-FSM Support Cell (CFSC), DPHE, in association with the 30 Paurashava Project.

The third Urban Governance and Infrastructure Improvement Project (UGIIP-3) aims to promote sustainable human development, economic growth and poverty reduction by enhancing municipal management and strengthening capacity to deliver municipal services and improve physical infrastructure and urban services. One of the important elements of the project is to provide safely managed sanitation service through fecal sludge management to the city dwellers. It is also essential to align the project activities and outlines according to the National Action Plan (NAP) for Implementing IRF-FSM approved by the MoLGRD&C. Under the backdrop of ITN-BUET and CWIS-FSM Support Cell, DPHE, an online orientation event on the National Action Plan (NAP) for Implementing IRF-FSM for the paurashavas under the UGIIP-3 project was organized on February 14, 2022.

The 2nd round of online orientation on the National Action Plan (NAP) for Implementing Institutional and Regulatory Framework for Fecal Sludge Management was held on 9th February 2022. Paurashavas under the ‘Water Supply & Environmental Sanitation including Faecal Sludge Management Project in 32 Paurashava’ were oriented on the roles, responsibilities, activities and milestones mentioned in the NAP for paurashava level. Project Director of 32 Paurashava Project, Engineers of DPHE, Honorable Mayors, Panel Mayors, Councilors, and relevant officials of the Paurashavas attended the event.