3 unions in Kurigram fully sanitised

A partial view of the enthusiastic crowd that gathered at Fulbari upazila headquarter on March 9 when three unions were declared fully sanitised. PHOTO: STAR

Kurigram Deputy Commissioner (DC) Azizar Rahman Mollah formally declared this at a colourful function in Fulbari on March 9.

Fulbari Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Mahmud Hasan, Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Executive Engineer Salauddin , six Union Parishad (UP) chairmen, UP members, teachers and students of educational institutions including local elite were present on the occasion.

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Fulbari is the second upazila in the country which has been brought under total sanitation.

Last year, Rajarhat upazila was declared fully sanitised, Kurigram DC told a group of visiting newsmen.

Fulbari UNO Mahmud Hasan in close collaboration with the concerned UP chairman, members and local elite launched the sanitation programme in Borovita union on December 10 last year.

2004. Within 20 days of its launching, 4,883 families in the union were brought under sanitation coverage.

Being inspired, people of five other unions became interested and began to build sanitary latrines themselves. Because of spontaneous participation of people from all walks of life, the sanitation programme succeeded, Fulbari UNO told journalist.

A number of committees comprising imams of mosques, teachers of educational institutions and concerned UP ward members worked together to make the programme a success.

Poor families got rings and slabs free of cost while solvent families bought those at between Tk 200 to 300.

Cultural committees were also formed consisting of artistes. They motivated people for the purpose by performing folk songs and street dramas.

According to Fulbari UNO, only 8,207 out of 27,340 families used sanitary latrines before December 10 last year. Then only 29.65 per cent people possessed sanitary latrines in the three unions where contagious diseases were prevalent. He hoped from now on people in the unions will enjoy healthy lives.

Kurigram DC told journalists that 20 per cent revenue of the upzila will be spent for follow-up sanitation programmes every year.