Feasibility Study for the Development Project of University of Rajshahi.

Bangladesh is one of the most densely populated countries in the world and has experienced rapid urbanization over recent decades. The proportion of the urban population living in slums and informal settlements has increased significantly, resulting in poor sanitation conditions and a heightened risk of water-borne diseases. Although access to basic drinking water facilities is relatively widespread, the quality of drinking water is frequently compromised due to contamination.

While formally planned urban areas often benefit from publicly funded sewerage systems, low-income communities and residents of slums and informal settlements remain largely excluded from these services. In such areas, infrastructure for safe containment, emptying, conveyance, treatment, and disposal of fecal sludge is either inadequate or entirely absent. Septic tanks and pit latrines are frequently illegally connected to surface drains or nearby water bodies, and fecal sludge is commonly emptied using informal and unhygienic methods before being indiscriminately discharged into the environment.

This critical gap in the sanitation service chain has led to widespread environmental contamination, including pollution of drinking water sources, and has posed serious public health risks. Recurrent outbreaks of water-borne diseases such as diarrhea, cholera, and typhoid remain common consequences of these failures in sanitation management.

Recognizing the urgency of these challenges, the Government of Bangladesh has prioritized urban sanitation and approved an Institutional and Regulatory Framework (IRF) for Fecal Sludge Management (FSM). A National Action Plan has been developed to operationalize the IRF and ensure effective and sustainable FSM services nationwide by 2030. As part of this initiative, the establishment of a Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS)–FSM Support Cell aims to promote integrated, inclusive, and coordinated sanitation management across urban areas.

PLANCON is engaged in this assignment as part of a Joint Venture with Sheltech Consultants (Pvt.) Ltd. (Lead Firm), Maxwell Stamp Ltd. (MSL), and Knowledge Management Consultants (KMC) Ltd., combining multidisciplinary expertise in urban planning, sanitation, institutional reform, and infrastructure development.