Swiss support helps expand rural sanitation skills in Bangladesh

DHAKA, Sept 21, 2026 — Switzerland, in partnership with Bangladesh’s Local Government Division and UNICEF Bangladesh, is supporting the development of rural sanitation markets by strengthening the technical and business skills of local sanitation entrepreneurs.

According to the Embassy of Switzerland in Bangladesh, more than 2,800 sanitation entrepreneurs across 25 districts had received training by the end of 2025.

The initiative is now moving towards a government-led model, with training services being institutionalised through the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) and the Rural Development Academy (RDA), the embassy said in a recent social media post.

The transition from project-supported training to government-led capacity building is expected to help extend sanitation-related training to new districts and sustain skills development among local entrepreneurs.

The embassy said the inaugural Training of Trainers (ToT) programme marks an important step towards embedding sanitation market development within government training systems.

The initiative aims to contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 6, which calls for ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.

Access to affordable and quality sanitation services at the community level is essential to improving public health and living conditions, particularly in rural areas.

The Swiss-supported initiative focuses on strengthening the capacity of local entrepreneurs so they can contribute to the growth of rural sanitation markets and improve access to sanitation services.

The institutionalisation of training through government agencies is also expected to provide a pathway for continued capacity building beyond the initial project-supported activities.