A Sanitation Data Command Center is being established to create an information and data-driven, integrated and automated data ecosystem for healthy and sustainable sanitation in the country. This will speed up data-based policy formulation and implementation of plans in all city corporations, municipal areas and various establishments of the country. For this purpose, a day-long workshop titled ‘Finalization of Indicators for Establishment of Sanitation Data Command Center’ was organized with the participation of various public and private stakeholders in a joint initiative of Directorate of Public Health Engineering and Aspire to Innovate-a2i at a hotel in the capital on Sunday.
While speaking as the chief guest at the workshop, the Chief Coordinator of SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) affairs of the Prime Minister’s Office Md. Akhtar Hossain said that it is essential to ensure sustainable sanitation system for all in improving public health. Bangladesh has already achieved significant success in achieving the ‘Millennium Development Goals’ in the sanitation program, which has been widely appreciated in the international arena. Bangladesh has taken several initiatives to ensure safe sanitation by 2030, especially on an equitable basis for all. The Prime Minister’s Office will provide all-round support in implementing the indicators set in this center. The establishment of the Sanitation Data Command Center will accelerate Bangladesh’s progress in achieving the SDG targets. Through this technologically innovative solution, it will be possible to ensure healthy and sustainable sanitation in the country.
The Secretary of the Cabinet Division (coordination and reform) Md. Mahmudul Hossain Khan said while speaking as a special guest that, there is a direction of the honorable Prime Minister to create a data-based dashboard in every department of the government to implement Smart Bangladesh-2041. In this case, the cabinet department will coordinate with various ministries to implement sanitation data command center. He said that innovative teams are working in various departments of the government and local government institutions. The Department of Statistics and Information Management and the Department of Information and Communication Technology may assist in formulating guidelines and policies on data as needed.
In the speech of the special guest, the Secretary of Statistics and Information Management Department called upon the organizers to involve the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics for coordinating the quality of data, data validation, etc. to ensure a sustainable sanitation system. Shahnaz Arefin, NDC said, this landmark initiative could be put on the agenda of the National Data Coordination Committee.
While speaking as the President, the a2i Project Director (Joint Secretary) Md. Mamunur Rashid Bhuyan said that the establishment of Sanitation Data Command Center is a timely decision in view of the goal of ensuring access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygienic lifestyle for the people of the country by 2030. In this regard, a2i will extend all technical support. By establishing it, Bangladesh will take a step forward in implementing Smart Bangladesh Vision.
To implement SDG 6.2, the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE), a2i, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) and the Global Water and Sanitation Center (GWSC) are working together to establish a culture of sanitation data governance and evidence-based decision-making related to sanitation. As part of this program, this special workshop was organized.
Tushar Mohan Sadhu Khan, Additional Chief Engineer of Directorate of Public Health Engineering delivered the welcome speech in this workshop. Anir Chowdhury, Policy Advisor of a2i gave a presentation on the need for Data Sanitation Governance and Smart Bangladesh. The Joint Secretary of Local Government Department Md. Jasim Uddin, Senior Advisor of Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) Neelima Thota, Dean of Faculty of Engineering and Technology of Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand, Dr. Sangam Shrestha and SDG of Prime Minister’s Office Md. Monirul Islam, Additional Secretary of the Chief Coordinating Office of Sustainable Development Goals.
Cabinet Department, Local Government Department, Public Works Directorate, Education Engineering Directorate, Civil Aviation, Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Corporation, Primary Education Directorate, Bangladesh Education and Information and Statistics Bureau, Dhaka WASA, Statistics and Information Management Department, a2i, various partner organizations of Global Water and Sanitation Center and senior officials of public and private institutions were also present on this occasion.