By Tohura Khatun Lily from Rajshahi
After years of waiting and repeated appeals, families living in the Namovodra slum beside the Padma Residential Lake under Ward 19 of Rajshahi City Corporation have finally begun receiving access to safe water. Nearly 250 families in this densely populated informal settlement have struggled for years without a water supply line, forcing them to depend on unsafe sources or buy water at high cost. Although water is considered a basic human right, the absence of a WASA connection meant these residents remained excluded from essential public services for a long time.
The journey to secure this connection began officially on 19 August 2024, when residents formed a human chain demanding safe water access. The demonstration drew attention from local authorities, and soon after, Rajshahi WASA officials, BARCIK, and the Urban Poor Rights Implementation Committee held meetings and committed to finding a solution. Yet the path was far from simple. Families encountered incorrect paperwork, repeated form submissions, complications regarding holding numbers, delays in obtaining city corporation permission to cut the road, and negotiations over reducing the road-cutting fee from Tk. 14,000 to Tk. 8,000. There were also additional informal cost demands at operational stages. Despite these barriers, with BARCIK facilitation support the community continued its advocacy with determination.
At last, after more than one and a half years of persistent follow-up, advocacy, and negotiations, WASA began installing the water line in the slum. The first six households have already received connections, and more families will gradually be included. Residents describe this change as life-altering. Cooking, bathing, maintaining hygiene, and especially supporting women, girls, and children will now become easier and safer. Access to water will reduce health risks and household expenses while restoring dignity to a community long denied essential services.
To acknowledge this long-awaited achievement, BARCIK and the Urban Poor Rights Committee formally handed over a letter of gratitude to Rajshahi WASA. He said, “This water connection is a service and a milestone in establishing the rights of marginalized urban communities. We hope such initiatives continue so that landless and low-income groups can access essential services more easily.” The appreciation recognized the initiative and cooperation of the Managing Director and Assistant Engineer Faruk Ahmed, whose responsive role helped to move the process forward.
BARCIK’s regional coordinator, Md. Shahidul Islam, expressed that this achievement represents as a milestone in securing the rights of marginalized residents in Bangladesh’s growing cities. The struggle and eventual success of the Namovodra slum community now stands as an inspiring example of how organized community voices, consistent advocacy, and responsive governance can ensure basic rights and services for the urban poor.
