Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) and WaterAid Bangladesh jointly launched a new hygiene programme with the aim of ensuring safe water and sanitation for people living in remote and marginalised areas of the country. Mr. Probal Saha, Water Resources Management Specialist and Ms. Anima Ashraf, Environmental Management Specialist of C3ER, BRAC University attended the National launch of ‘HSBC Water Programme 2nd phase’.
The national launch of ‘HSBC Water Programme 2nd phase’ was announced on 18 October 2017 in a program held at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon. Under the program, pure water supply and climate resilient sanitation facilities will be improved in 5 Upazilas. At least 173,322 people will get benefits from this project directly in the next two years. Md. Mahbub ur Rahman, Deputy CEO and Country Head of Commercial Banking was present at the event as the special guest, while Dr. Md. Khairul Islam, Country Director of WaterAid Bangladesh delivered concluding remarks and Dr. Imrul Kayes Muniruzzaman, Director – Fundraising and Learning delivered the welcome speech. The second phase of the HSBC Water Program will be implemented in Gangni Upazila of Meherpur district, Tahirpur in Sunamganj, Dacope and Paikgacha of Khulna and Shyamnagar of Satkhira. The project implementation duration is October 2017 to December 2019. The project in its new phase intends to improve water and sanitation services along with hygiene behavior in the five upazilas. It will emphasize on working with and strengthening existing formal and informal structures to establish clear channels of accountability and sustainable WASH services, and resource management in local government, communities and health facilities, alongside a very necessary component of service delivery for highly marginalised and poor people living in hard-to-reach areas.