Experts urge to increase budget allocation for water, sanitation sector.
Sector specialists have urged the government to ensure adequate allocation in the upcoming national budget for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector. They also called for equitable WASH services for all citizens.
The demand was made at a press conference held on Monday at the National Press Club, jointly organised by WaterAid Bangladesh, Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC), MHM Platform, Freshwater Action Network South Asia (FANSA), Bangladesh Faecal Sludge Management (FSM) Network and Sanitation and Water for All.
When speaking, Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman of PPRC said that access to WASH services is a basic human right and essential for sustainable public health and social development. He noted that although the government has taken various policies and strategic plans for the WASH sector, recent trends in budget allocation are concerning.
From the fiscal year 2016-17, WASH sector funding had shown a positive trajectory, but that momentum stalled in FY 2023-24, with a 22.46% decrease from the previous year, he said. The allocation dropped from Tk 182.28 billion in FY 2022-23 to Tk 139.72 billion in FY 2023-24.
