Dhaka: The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) has signed a US$ 6.35 million (about Tk 49.42 crore) grant agreement with UNICEF Bangladesh to improve access to affordable and hygienic sanitation solution for poor and disadvantaged communities in Bangladesh.

The agreement of the four-year project, ‘Improving Sanitation Market Systems in Bangladesh (SanMarkS)’ was signed at a ceremony held at SDC office in the capital on Thursday, according to a UNICEF media release.

Director of SDC Siroco Messerli and UNICEF Bangladesh representative Edouard Beigbeder signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.  

The programme will be implemented in partnership with IDE-International Development Enterprises.

‘Bangladesh has made significant progress in sanitation under the ‘Sanitation for all by 2013’ movement. However, still challenges remain in hard-to-reach areas, urban slums and other flood-prone and geographically challenging parts of Bangladesh. We are delighted to be working with SDC as we are all committed to making meaningful changes for maximum impact,’ said Beigbeder.

Messerli said, ‘The most interesting thing about the project funded by SDC and UNICEF Bangladesh is that it brings on board both the private sector service providers and public actors to respond to the needs and demand of the rural population by providing improved sanitation services.’

By improving the sanitation market systems in Bangladesh, the most disadvantaged households, that currently do not have access to proper sanitation facilities, will be able to access services tailored to their needs and their financial capacity which can be offered by the private sector in a sustainable manner.

The project will undertake a number of activities to improve sanitation services which includes, a market-based approach that addresses demand and supply to increase the use of improved sanitation; applying commercial and social marketing techniques to promote hygienic sanitation services; applying people centered design to develop products and services that businesses can profitably produce and sell; and investing in business and production skills and market facilitation activities to expand supply and sales.

As a result of the project, funded by SDC and co-funded by UNICEF, the private sector service providers in collaboration with public actors will respond to the needs and demand of the rural poor and provide improved sanitation services to an estimated 450,000 poor and disadvantaged people in six districts of Bangladesh.