WASH budget cut deepens inequality, threatens safe water access: Experts

Experts have warned that the declining budget allocation for Bangladesh's Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector could severely undermine efforts to guarantee citizens' constitutional rights to safe water and sanitation.

The concern was raised during the launch of a joint policy brief by the Power and Participation Research Centre (PPRC) and WaterAid Bangladesh at a press conference held at the PPRC office in the capital's Dhanmondi area on Tuesday.

The policy brief highlighted a sharp fall in WASH allocations, dropping from a peak of Tk 182.28 billion in FY2022-23 to a proposed Tk 109.01 billion for FY2025-26.

Although the figure reflects a slight increase from the revised budget of Tk 91.41 billion in FY2024-25, experts say it remains insufficient given the country's mounting WASH challenges.

"The downward trend in allocation undermines the state's commitment to guaranteeing access to water and sanitation," said Dr Hossain Zillur Rahman, executive chairman of PPRC.

"Water and sanitation are not merely technical concerns; they are fundamental human rights, essential for health, dignity, and climate resilience."

Disparities in the proposed allocation also drew criticism.

Dhaka WASA alone is slated to receive over Tk 31.4 billion, while the Department of Public Health Engineering, tasked with ensuring national WASH coverage - especially in rural and underserved areas - faces a reduction in funds.

Only seven out of 12 city corporations received allocations in the proposed budget, leaving out major cities such as Rajshahi, Rangpur, Cumilla, and Sylhet.

Within urban areas, Dhaka North and Gazipur continue to receive disproportionately high shares, exacerbating intra-urban inequalities.

Partha Hefaz Shaikh, director of Programme and Policy Advocacy at WaterAid Bangladesh, said, "Despite commendable progress in eliminating open defecation, the WASH sector still faces inefficiencies in water quality, sanitation infrastructure, and the added burden of climate change."

While the budget includes promising signs for areas like Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) and climate adaptation, allocations for essential services such as water supply and sanitation infrastructure have declined.

Rural and hard-to-reach regions, including the chars, remain largely excluded from meaningful investment, the brief noted.

Representatives from various partner NGOs also attended the event and called for a more inclusive and equitable distribution of resources that reflects the scale of needs across both urban and rural Bangladesh.

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