Call to turn sanitation campaigninto social movement

GAIBANDHA, Nov 17 (BSS): Speakers at a function in Gaibandha on Wednesday underscored the need for turning the sanitation campaign into social movement for building a healthy nation through achieving 100 percent sanitation coverage of the country by 2013. "Successful hygienic sanitation campaign will be ensured for the sake of keeping the environment free from pollution side by side with saving the people from being infected by water-borne diseases like diarrhea and dysentery", they said. They made the comments while addressing an orientation for district Watsan Committee on sanitation, hygienic education and water supply at the conference room of deputy commissioner (DC) here at noon. Plan Bangladesh, a reputed non government organisation in the country, organised the function in cooperation with district administration, department of public health engineering and under SHEWA-B-GoB- UNICEF project funded by UNICEF and UKAID. Terming the schoolboys and girls as the most vulnerable to worm infection, they called for making them aware about health hygiene and using sanitary latrine together with proper hand washing before taking every meal. In this context, they also emphasised on concerted efforts of all quarters particularly the field level government officials, public representatives, NGO activists and other community people to make the sanitation programmes a grand success. Overall success of the total hygienic sanitation programme depends on its sustainability, they said adding that affluent persons of the society can also play vital role side by side with the efforts of GO and NGO to ensure cent percent sanitation coverage of the country. DC M. Shahidul Islam attended the function and addressed it as the chief guest while additional police super Hemayetul Islam and executive engineer of DPHE SM Halim Uddin were present as the special guests. With additional deputy commissioner (General) Kamal Uddin Biswas in the chair, the meeting was also addressed, among others, by Sadar UNO Mamunur Rashid, Fulchari UNO Mehedi-ul-Sahid and journalist Sircar M. Shahiduzzaman.