October 2024 From the margins to centre stage: supporting caste-oppressed sanitation workers in Bangladesh Zakir Hossain and Kanika Singh
A training session for sanitation workers- discussing their rights and entitlements
Nagorik Uddyog is bringing the voices of Bangladesh's Dalit sanitation workers to the forefront. Facing life-threatening conditions and deep-rooted caste discrimination, these workers are standing up for their rights. From human chains to national advocacy, Nagorik Uddyog is leading a movement to demand safety, fair wages, and dignity. Learn how they are pushing for change.
Sanitation workers are the backbone of sanitation services in Bangladesh. Toiling endlessly, their work continues day after day, together with their struggles. Most sanitation workers in the country belong to the historically oppressed Dalit community. Considered ‘impure’, caste-based discrimination and ‘untouchability’ keeps them confined to this occupation. They operate under undignified and hazardous conditions, enduring exposure to toxic substances, and risk their lives for this essential work.
While sanitation workers from majority ethnic groups are engaged as permanent employees, those from the Dalit community are usually employed on a contractual basis. They struggle with low and irregular wages, and precarious job security. Housing is another concern. Usually employed privately, they are ineligible for government-allocated housing for sanitation workers, and consequently live in inhumane conditions, often fearing sudden eviction. Lack of supportive policies and clear operational guidelines further add to their challenges.
Nagorik Uddyog was established in 1995, to promote people’s participation in governance and to provide access to democracy, rights, justice and development. Their work focuses on supporting marginalized communities, including the Dalit community, to claim their rights. NU implements programmes for community mobilization, human rights awareness, research, and advocacy. In 2008, they supported the formation of the Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement (BDERM), as a platform for community engagement and collective advocacy.
Recognizing the importance of a dedicated initiative for the rights of sanitation workers from the Dalit community, Nagorik Uddyog began a community mobilization and advocacy programme in 2022. This was supported by the Initiative for Sanitation Workers, with a two-year grant of approx. US$ 28,000. It aims to raise awareness among workers about their rights, bringing them together to advocate for themselves, and influencing decision-makers to develop operational guidelines to support them.
In this programme Nagorik Uddyog started with a rapid assessment, to understand the situation of sanitation workers belonging to the Dalit community. Following this, a series of community-level meetings and training sessions were organized for more than 200 workers. These helped equip them with a deeper understanding of labour rights, occupational health hazards, workplace safety measures, and leadership skills.
Nagorik Uddyog facilitated six municipal-level meetings, and a national advocacy workshop with mayors, councillors, labour department officials, and civil society organizations. Sanitation workers, federation leaders, and civil society representatives shared their experiences and research findings. These workshops helped provide a much-needed space for workers and their representatives to share the hard-hitting realities of their situation, and to discuss actionable solutions.
Image: A training session for sanitation workers- discussing their rights and entitlements. Image: Nagorik Uddyog
In this programme Nagorik Uddyog started with a rapid assessment, to understand the situation of sanitation workers belonging to the Dalit community. Following this, a series of community-level meetings and training sessions were organized for more than 200 workers. These helped equip them with a deeper understanding of labour rights, occupational health hazards, workplace safety measures, and leadership skills.
Nagorik Uddyog facilitated six municipal-level meetings, and a national advocacy workshop with mayors, councillors, labour department officials, and civil society organizations. Sanitation workers, federation leaders, and civil society representatives shared their experiences and research findings. These workshops helped provide a much-needed space for workers and their representatives to share the hard-hitting realities of their situation, and to discuss actionable solutions.
Image: A local advocacy meeting with municipal officials. Credit: Nagorik Uddyog
Ukenend Joy, a member of the Dhaka City Committee of Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, said, "I think this is the worst profession in the world. We often suffer from diseases due to the lack of safety systems while working in the sewers and drains. When we go to the doctor, we are considered impure and dirty. The authorities should keep in mind our safety issues.”
Another member of the Bangladesh Dalit and Excluded Rights Movement, Gaganlal said, "Zoo animals seem to be in a better condition than us. They get a house, they get food. We don’t! The salary of workers outside of Dhaka is significantly lower. All sanitation workers across the country should be brought under the same pay scale and should be guaranteed equal benefits.”
Recommendations emerging from these workshops were put together in the form of an eight-point agenda, which was widely disseminated among policymakers, civil society organizations, and the public, in the form of articles, posters and leaflets. Nagorik Uddyog also helped workers organize human chain events to raise awareness among the wider population.
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Eight-point Agenda Recommendations for national and local level stakeholders to improve sanitation workers’ rights in Bangladesh
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This programme has helped lay the groundwork for Dalit sanitation workers’ initiatives to claim their rights and dignity. There is now hope for a brighter future - a world where sanitation work is safe, dignified, and valued like any other and where those from the Dalit community are free from caste-based discrimination and have the agency to choose any occupation. However, the journey is far from over. Systemic changes and policy reforms for sanitation workers require nationwide community mobilization and advocacy efforts, and longer-term support from donors and development partners.
This article is part of a series which highlights the learnings from sanitation workers’ mobilization and networking initiatives, supported by the Initiative for Sanitation Workers, across different countries. Read the other blogs here.
The blog is based on contributions from Zakir Hossain, Chief Executive, Nagorik Uddyog, and Kanika Singh, independent consultant.