Effective co-ordination and strong teamwork are essential for sustainability of human development focused project interventions. With the objective of building well-fortified cohesiveness among implementing partners, a National Consultative Workshop on Proactive Engagement and Ownership for Sustainability under the LLF-Funded Inclusive and Integrated Sanitation and Hygiene Project was held during 6–8 December 2024. Jointly organized by Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), CWIS-FSM Support Cell (CFSC), Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) and ITN-BUET, the event took place at the Dream Square Resort, Gazipur, Bangladesh and brought together key stakeholders, including representatives from Pourashavas, City corporation and DPHE. The workshop also reviewed the progress of project interventions including sustainable, inclusive, sanitation service delivery.
A total of 51 officials, including four women, from nine Pourashavas, one City Corporation, and respective DPHE local and central offices actively participated in the event. The attendees included a diverse group of Executive Engineers, Assistant Engineers, Pouro Nirbahi Officers, Sub-assistant Engineers, Medical Officers, Account Officers, and Conservancy Officers. Officials from ITN-BUET, IsDB, DPHE and GWSC facilitated the sessions.
The inaugural session was chaired by Tushar Mohon Shadhu Khan, Chief Engineer of DPHE, with Md Fazlur Rahman, Additional Secretary of the Water Supply Wing, Local Government Division, as the Chief Guest. Other distinguished guests included Mr. Nasser Mohammed Yakubu, Operations Team Leader, IsDB; Dr. Roshan Raj Shrestha, Deputy Director, BMGF; Mr. Md. Shafiqul Hassan, Co-chair, CFSC; Mr. S M Shamim Ahmed, Project Director, DPHE; Dr. Abdullah Al-Muyeed, COO, CFSC and Mr. Alauddin Ahmed, Project Manager, ITN-BUET. Mr. Md Fazlur Rahman in his delivery encouraged participants to adopt proactive attitudes and fulfill their moral obligations as public service providers.
The workshop focused on several critical aspects of the sanitation project. Participants engaged in five sessions and group activities designed to clarify project management roles, responsibilities, and collaboration mechanisms among DPHE, Pourashavas, and other partners. Mr. Alauddin Ahmed showcased ITN-BUET’s contributions as a capacity-building hub, highlighting developed training modules, delivered courses, organized exposure visits and other capacity building events. The session was followed by a group work to prioritize contextualized capacity building and awareness raising activities for the individual cities.
The workshop concluded with strengthened commitment and enhanced clarity among project teams to advance sustainable and inclusive sanitation solutions. Participants left with actionable insights and enriched understanding of their roles in delivering impactful outcomes under the 10 Town LLF Project.
