Development in Bangladesh is usually segregated into two broad contextsurban and rural. However, between these two defined areas lie many market places and growth centres which do not fall within either category and are therefore escaping the eyes of the development planners.
In Bangladesh, the exact number of hats or bazaars is not known to me at this moment but it is clear to us that there is at least one hat or bazaar within walking distance of everyone in Bangladesh. What happens there? A group of peopleshopkeepers and other tradersare living almost permanently in the market place while other groups come daily or weekly to buy and sell products and commodities. In fact the market place and growth centres are a hub for the people living within its catchment area. The population of the hat or bazaar can vary daily from a few hundred to a few thousand people as they gather frequently depending on the market. Though men are the main visitors of the market place, we cannot ignore the presence of women, children, adolescent boys and girls, though their number varies dramatically throughout the country, for instance, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts the presence of women in the weekly market is high.
Despite the large transient populations water and sanitation facilities in hats and bazaars are negligible. People are forced to openly defecate and urinate close to food stores, with little opportunities to wash hands. Where latrine opportunities are available there is seldom any specific facilities for women.
Solid waste management is generally absent, indiscriminate dumping of market wastes create an ideal breeding ground for vectors such as rats, flies and mosquitoes. Piles of peels and leaves, fish and animal entrails mixed with inorganic plastics are left to decompose. In most of the cases there are no regular cleaners to clean the market places. The critical aspect of this unhygienic market place is: even the people who are maintaining good hygiene in their home are unable to avoid the potential risk of coming in contact of pathogens from this unhygienic environment where they come to buy their food. In addition, poor hygiene practices have been observed in tea stalls, road-side hotels and sweetmeat shops.
Together, it is evident that a huge gap remains between assurance and action in the prevention of water and excreta borne diseases. The country strategy which aims for “total sanitation” [covering all parts of the country with sanitation facilities] and “sanitation for all” [no one will be left out from sanitation service and facilities] by the year 2010 will be ignoring a large component if hats and bazaars are not properly included.
Despite investing a lot of money and a huge effort given by government and non-government agencies large populations will be facing high risks of contracting the water and excreta borne diseases. From another perspective, the provision of water and sanitation in the market place has the capability of encouraging women under government and NGO led women's Income Generating Activities [IGA] to sell their products directly to the consumer. It has been identified that these women often loose considerable income when selling through middle man principally due to discouragement in going to the market place.
One of the major reasons for not allowing them or their unwillingness to enter the market place is its dirty and unhygienic environment. Sanitation, in terms of latrines, water supply and solid waste management have the capacity to make hats and bazaar safer and cleaner places to work, shop and eat in. Separate sanitation facilities for women can play a good role in creating a congenial environment in the market place for women to trade and have full benefit from IGA programmes. In fine to make the “total sanitation” campaign meaningful, Sanitation in the market place is a must.
This article first appeared in the Daily Star Monday, September 29, 2008.
In Bangladesh, the exact number of hats or bazaars is not known to me at this moment but it is clear to us that there is at least one hat or bazaar within walking distance of everyone in Bangladesh. What happens there? A group of peopleshopkeepers and other tradersare living almost permanently in the market place while other groups come daily or weekly to buy and sell products and commodities. In fact the market place and growth centres are a hub for the people living within its catchment area. The population of the hat or bazaar can vary daily from a few hundred to a few thousand people as they gather frequently depending on the market. Though men are the main visitors of the market place, we cannot ignore the presence of women, children, adolescent boys and girls, though their number varies dramatically throughout the country, for instance, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts the presence of women in the weekly market is high.
Despite the large transient populations water and sanitation facilities in hats and bazaars are negligible. People are forced to openly defecate and urinate close to food stores, with little opportunities to wash hands. Where latrine opportunities are available there is seldom any specific facilities for women.
Solid waste management is generally absent, indiscriminate dumping of market wastes create an ideal breeding ground for vectors such as rats, flies and mosquitoes. Piles of peels and leaves, fish and animal entrails mixed with inorganic plastics are left to decompose. In most of the cases there are no regular cleaners to clean the market places. The critical aspect of this unhygienic market place is: even the people who are maintaining good hygiene in their home are unable to avoid the potential risk of coming in contact of pathogens from this unhygienic environment where they come to buy their food. In addition, poor hygiene practices have been observed in tea stalls, road-side hotels and sweetmeat shops.
Together, it is evident that a huge gap remains between assurance and action in the prevention of water and excreta borne diseases. The country strategy which aims for “total sanitation” [covering all parts of the country with sanitation facilities] and “sanitation for all” [no one will be left out from sanitation service and facilities] by the year 2010 will be ignoring a large component if hats and bazaars are not properly included.
Despite investing a lot of money and a huge effort given by government and non-government agencies large populations will be facing high risks of contracting the water and excreta borne diseases. From another perspective, the provision of water and sanitation in the market place has the capability of encouraging women under government and NGO led women's Income Generating Activities [IGA] to sell their products directly to the consumer. It has been identified that these women often loose considerable income when selling through middle man principally due to discouragement in going to the market place.
One of the major reasons for not allowing them or their unwillingness to enter the market place is its dirty and unhygienic environment. Sanitation, in terms of latrines, water supply and solid waste management have the capacity to make hats and bazaar safer and cleaner places to work, shop and eat in. Separate sanitation facilities for women can play a good role in creating a congenial environment in the market place for women to trade and have full benefit from IGA programmes. In fine to make the “total sanitation” campaign meaningful, Sanitation in the market place is a must.
This article first appeared in the Daily Star Monday, September 29, 2008.
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