We demand citizen-friendly public toilets

The first sign of a city's civilization is reflected in its sewage system and public toilet facilities. In Roman civilization, over two thousand years ago, an advanced sanitation system was established. Unfortunately, in our cities, the sewage system and public toilet facilities are still in a dire state. Particularly when you observe the condition of public toilets, it is hard to call our city a civilized one. The number of public toilets is so inadequate in relation to the demand that it is almost pitiful.

In Dhaka, a city with a population of 15 million, the number of public toilets is less than one hundred. As a result, even in the most developed areas of Dhaka, people are forced to relieve themselves in open spaces. This is primarily true for low-income individuals, pedestrians, laborers, vehicle drivers, street vendors, and the homeless. It is not possible to blame any specific individual for this; the real culprit is the lack of urban management. Public toilets are even more difficult for women to use.

Another unfortunate aspect is that even in the process of constructing these public toilets, there was party politics and tender manipulation during the previous Awami League tenure. Even though a few public toilets were built, they did not provide a hygienic environment. Many of these toilets even turned into hubs for drug use and various other anti-social activities.

The positive development, however, is that conscious citizens are now thinking afresh about improving the city's sanitation system. According to discussions in a roundtable meeting titled "Local Government Reform Proposal for the Improvement of Urban Sanitation System," held last Wednesday, it was revealed that the City Corporations treat public toilets not as a civic service but merely as a revenue generation tool. Due to the local government's failure to play a proper and timely role in the maintenance of public toilets, quality management has not been possible. Furthermore, the absence of a coordinated master plan for sanitation across the city has resulted in the inability to ensure an adequate number of public toilets.

During the previous government's tenure, several good public toilets were built in Dhaka city. However, due to poor planning, most of them remain unusable. It is often the case that these public toilets are located in less frequented or isolated alleys where pedestrian traffic is low, making it difficult for people to know where the toilets are. Furthermore, there are no signs or indicators nearby to direct people to these public toilets. Experts say that the absence of proper location, design, and management systems has led to the current situation. Public toilets need to be placed in the right locations, designed appropriately, and managed efficiently for them to be functional.

We want our city to remain clean. We want the public toilets in our city to be usable and citizen-friendly. To attract all groups of people, including women, to use these toilets, a campaign and necessary measures should be taken. Additionally, there must be efforts to educate people from all walks of life on the proper use of public toilets. If we are to present ourselves as an advanced, civilized nation, we must first make our public toilets citizen-friendly.