November 2025 — A delegation from the Global Water & Sanitation Center (GWSC) at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) recently completed a strategic mission to Bangladesh. The visit focused on strengthening partnerships, reviewing the progress of key sanitation data initiatives, and inspecting on-the-ground implementation of containment improvements.

Strengthening Public Data Systems in Dhaka

On November 16, 2025, the GWSC-AIT team—led by Chief Operating Officer Mr. Agus Nugroho, DI-Hub Manager Dr. Sanjiv Neupane, and Project Coordinator Ms. Sichu Shrestha—visited the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) in Dhaka.

The team paid a courtesy visit to key DPHE officials, including Mr. Ehete Shamul Russel Khan (Additional Chief Engineer), Mr. Shishir Kumar Biswas (Executive Engineer, SIR Division), Mr. Shamim Ahmed (Project Director, 10 Town Project), and Ms. Dilruba Farzana (Deputy Project Director, 10 Town Project).

A significant highlight of the day was the Strengthening of Public Data System for Sanitation in Bangladesh (SPDSSB) Partner Meeting. Hosted with the participation of DPHE and GWSC, the meeting brought together representatives from diverse partner organizations, including:

  • Aspire to Innovate (a2i)
  • Tiller
  • Streams Tech
  • SNV Bangladesh
  • ITN-BUET

The session focused on reviewing project progress, addressing existing challenges, and identifying strategic opportunities to advance sanitation interventions and digitalization across Bangladesh.

Driving Digital Implementation in Lakshmipur

Following the engagements in Dhaka, the team extended their mission to Lakshmipur Municipality on November 18. Joined by Ms. Makfie Farah and Mr. Ahrar Hasan, the GWSC-AIT delegation met with municipal leaders to discuss the implementation of the Integrated Municipal Information System (IMIS).

Discussions regarding IMIS customization and implementation challenges were held with Mr. Md. Zulfiqur Hossion (Executive Engineer), Mr. Mohammad Farabi (Chief Executive Officer), Shahdat Hossain (Account Officer), and Foyez Ahmed (Conservancy Inspector).

To assess infrastructure progress, the team—accompanied by local DPHE engineers and municipal officials—conducted site visits to:

  • The local Water Treatment Plant.
  • The Fecal Sludge Wastewater Treatment Plant.
  • Containment improvement sites under the GWSC project, including locations featuring newly installed prefabricated containment units.

This mission underscores GWSC’s continued commitment to leveraging data and technology to enhance sanitation services and infrastructure in the region.