The role of NGOs in improving sanitation status in the rural areas of Bangladesh: challenges and expectations

NGOs are playing a significant role to ameliorate the sanitation situation in Bangladesh. Multi-stage 30 cluster sampling was adopted to collect quantitative data and 4,200 households were visited from 10 purposively selected sub-districts with and without NGO-led WASH programme. In every sub-district a focus group discussion was conducted to collect relevant information supplementing the findings from quantitative study. The overall sanitation coverage in areas with NGO intervention was significantly (p<0.001) higher than the areas without any such intervention. Logistic regression analyses showed that the existence of NGO-led programme, the level of education, poverty, land ownership and access to media had significant (p<0.001) influence on sanitation practice. Financial crisis was reported to be the predominant reason for households not having their own sanitary latrine, where NGO assistance was sought for. People acknowledged the role of NGOs in raising awareness, increasing sanitary latrine use and reported NGO assistance necessary for 100 per cent sanitation.