3.79 million people don't have clean water.
3.79 million people don't have clean water.
75.4 million people don't have a decent toilet.
75.4 million people don't have a decent toilet.
That's 45% of the population.
Over 1,000 children under 5 die a year from diarrhoea.
Over 1,000 children under 5 die a year from diarrhoea.
Caused by dirty water and poor toilets.
Our work in Bangladesh
We're working with the government as it rolls out ambitious national plans to improve hygiene behaviours and increase access to clean water.
We’re committed to supporting those who are the hardest to reach, and the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We will put water and toilet facilities in schools and public places, improving hygiene nationwide. And we will work with communities at risk of natural disasters to build services that last, whatever happens.
Keeping girls in school
We built toilets, handwashing basins, and two water filter stations at Sumaiya’s school. There’s also a new chute and incinerator for disposing of sanitary pads, and regular hygiene sessions. Now, girls are comfortable coming to school every day – even on their period.

Changing lives with toilets
Decent toilets bring dignity and good health – especially for women and girls.
A lack of decent toilets affects whole communities – but it’s women and girls who bear the brunt.
For women like Anita and Shabana in the lakeside village of Trimohoni, needing the toilet used to mean waiting until it got dark to go in a field, or using a makeshift latrine, which often overflowed into the lake. There was no way of managing their periods hygienically or privately.
We’ve built secure, private toilets in the village, and run hygiene education activities so people understand the importance of handwashing and keeping the toilets clean. With platforms raised high off the ground, the new toilets are resilient to changing tidewater levels, so residents no longer have to worry about them overflowing.
Now, Anita and Shabana can use the toilet whenever they need. The stomach diseases that used to be so common for their families have all but disappeared. And they can manage their periods safely, with dignity.
"Now, I have my own identity"
Gita leads a group of 60 women who run a water filtration plant in the coastal region of Assasuni. The plant is not only providing clean water to local villages, but empowering women like Gita to become financially and socially independent for the first time.

Safe enough to drink
Across Bangladesh, we’re working to make water drinkable. We’re tackling pollution from dangerous chemicals, and saltwater problems in coastal areas. And we’re making areas at risk of climate change a priority, helping families cope with an uncertain future.
Reaching those who are often overlooked
We're supporting tea picking communities to access essential water and toilet facilities.
Tea pickers are among the lowest paid people in Bangladesh, working for about 70p a day. Plantation owners are legally responsible for their workers’ health and education, but facilities are often poor. People rely on hand-dug wells and streams for water, and have no choice but to go to the toilet in the open.
We're helping tea estate owners understand how improved water, toilets and hygiene keep workers healthier, as we collaborate with our partner organisation to bring decent facilities to tea-picking communities.
Responding to COVID-19
Throughout the pandemic, we’ve focused our support on densely populated low-income communities, who are especially vulnerable to the spread of COVID-19. Alongside handwashing devices tailored to each community’s needs, we’re providing people with the information and materials they need to keep themselves safe.
Community volunteers are at the heart of our response. Equipped with personal safety equipment, they are disinfecting their neighbourhoods, encouraging people to practise good hygiene, ensuring soap is available, and sharing essential safety messages with their neighbours.