Iftekhar ENAYETULLAH and Maqsood SINHA

Issue / Dhaka’s Household Waste

Located in southern Asia, Bangladesh is among the poorest and most densely populated countries in the world. The capital city of Dhaka has faced a veritable population explosion in recent years. Today, its 12 million residents must find a way of living together on land that is constantly being eroded by the tides in the Bay of Bengal. Among the most persistent problems is the accumulation of household waste in the city.

It is estimated that 3,500 tons of waste are thrown out each day in Dhaka. Unfortunately, the municipal workers are only able to collect about half, leaving the rest to clog the gutters, ditches, waterways and roadsides. The constantly increasing amount of waste — produced by an ever-expanding population — is a growing threat to soil and water quality, and to the health of the Bangladeshi people.