Dhaka Wasa has denounced as baseless and fabricated a recent Bangladesh news report that its managing director Taqsem A Khan owns 14 apartments in the United States. “Dhaka Wasa dismisses the report with contempt. The news has been published with motive and it has no connection with the reality,” said a Dhaka Wasa press release signed by its deputy-chief public relation officer Mostafa Tareque.   The press release stated that MD Taqsem does not own any of the residences described in that news report. However, his wife, who has been working in the US as a government official, owns only one apartment. “A vested interest group published this false and baseless report to serve their own vested interests,” said the release. Also Read: BFIU summons WASA chief Taqsem’s bank account details Dhaka Wasa condemns the publication of such false news, it observed. The press release described Taqsem as a visionary managing director of the city’s water and sewage authority. It said it was because of his vision Dhaka Wasa has been able to increase its water supply to up to 275 crore litres as against the daily demand of about 270 crore litres.      

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA) has published a job circular for the recruitment of manpower on contract basis. According to the Dhaka WASA Job circular, one person each will be recruited for the post of Chief Media Officer and Media Officer in Dhaka WASA. However, Dhaka WASA authorities can reduce or increase the number of posts if necessary, the circular said. One will be recruited as Chief Media Officer. Applicants must have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Should have work experience as senior journalist in reputed newspaper or electronic media or working as public relations officer in national or international organization. One person will also be recruited as media officer. Applicants must have a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. Should have work experience as journalist in reputed newspaper or electronic media or working as public relations officer in national or international organization. Read More: 11 Virtual Meeting Etiquette Rules for Professionals How to apply to Dhaka WASA Job Circular 2023 Interested candidates have to apply online through Dhaka WASA website (http://www.dwasa.org.bd). Resume, copy of educational qualification certificate, recent passport size color photograph and photocopy of national identity card should be uploaded online in the prescribed form of application form. Candidates have to participate in written and oral test. Original copies of all educational qualification certificates must be produced at the time of oral examination. At the time of online application, a deposit of Tk. 500 is required for examination fee. Application Deadline: Last date for submission of application form is 29th January 2023. Read More: Job Circular in Bangladesh Police: will recruit manpower for the post of Sergeant

Although there are directives from the country’s highest court to save rivers, authorities concerned have failed miserably to stop pollution and encroachment. Thus, rivers around Dhaka city are still being polluted.  In an interview with UNB, Dr Manjur Ahmed, chairman of National River Conservation Commission (NRCC), put a major share of the blame on Dhaka WASA. Dhaka WASA’s failure to construct enough sewerage lines has created a disastrous situation. Factories in and around Dhaka dispose of waste into the rivers surrounding the city. Combination of household and industrial wastes has turned rivers like Buriganga and Shitalakhya “ecologically dead”. Read:Buriganga Pollution: Contempt rule issued against Wasa MD “All the human waste produced in Dhaka city goes into the four rivers surrounding it. This happens due to Dhaka WASA’s failure to manage the waste. Excrement and rainwater go to the rivers through the same pipe. It was WASA’s duty to set up separate pipes for proper flow of the wastes. They didn’t do so, and as a result rivers are being polluted fast,” said Manjur. The NRCC chairman added that although much of the grabbed lands by the rivers have been recovered, pollution couldn’t be stopped as those responsible were not brought under the law. “At least four crore people live in and around Dhaka city but there isn’t a single river or waterbody where people can bathe. Population density, unmanageable development, withdrawal of water in the upstream and climate change are affecting the country’s rivers. As an organization working to conserve rivers, NRCC is acutely aware of these problems,” said Manjur. Read:Dhaka rivers get polluted, WASA moves to supply water from Meghna About NRCC, Manjur said that the role of his organization is to identify the problems and provide recommendations to the concerned authorities. “NRCC is a relatively new organization. Some recommendations made by us have already been implemented and others are pending with the authorities. So far, we’ve identified 57,000 illegal encroachers and evicted 14,000 of them through the help of the district administrations and Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA),” said Manjur. On the demarcation of river boundaries, the NRCC chairman said that it’s a tough task. Read Tajul briefs JS on Wasa, city corporations' projects to serve capital “The boundaries of Buriganga, Turag and Balu rivers have already been demarcated. I hope that the rest of the rivers will also be demarcated gradually,” said Manjur. On the master plan that NRCC was preparing, Manjur said that it is yet to be completed. “The process of preparing the master plan was interrupted due to the Covid-19 pandemic. I hope that we’ll be able to complete the master plan within a short time,” the NRCC chairman said. Read LGRD Minister directs WASA to fix water price in capital rationally During the interview, he informed UNB that his organization aims to put an end to pollution of the rivers surrounding Dhaka within March 17, 2023, which is the birth anniversary of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. “We’ll provide directives to all the government and private establishments in Dhaka and adjacent areas to stop polluting the rivers surrounding the city very soon. Legal steps will be taken if anyone breaches the rules and fails to comply with the directives,” Manjur said.

LGRD Minister Md Tajul Islam has said that no subsidy will be provided by Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Dhaka WASA) from now on.  The minister also said that lower income people living in the city’s slums will be getting water at lower prices once zone-wise water rates are fixed. Tajul was speaking at a training programme organized by the City Reporters’ Forum at the Press Institute of Bangladesh (PIB) Auditorium on Friday. “Most of the people living in Dhaka city are well-off. There is no point in supplying water both to the higher and the lower income people at the same rate. We’ll soon fix the prices of water according to different zones after which those living in affluent areas will pay higher price for water than those living in impoverished areas,” said the minister. Tajul added that the time has come for implementing the Detailed Area Plan (DAP) that has been published as a gazette recently. Read: Tajul briefs JS on Wasa, city corporations' projects to serve capital “The DAP gazette has been published after much effort. It will help turning Dhaka into a livable, modern and scenic city. We need everyone’s help in implementing the plan,” added the Minister. The event was presided over by City Reporters’ Forum President Adilur Rahman. Zafar Wazed, director general (DG) of PIB, Dwip Azad, secretary general of Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists (BFUJ) and Nazrul Islam Mithu, president of Dhaka Reporters’ Unity (DRU) were present at the event.

Local Government and Rural Development (LGRD) Minister Md Tajul Islam on Sunday expressed hope that the country’s average per capita income would exceed $ 3,000 by this year. The minister said, “Our average income has increased like magic in the past decade due to the leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.” He said this at the 'Bill Collection Award' giving ceremony organized by Dhaka WASA at Hotel Pan Pacific Sonargaon in the capital. Read:Nationwide safe drinking water supply grid is under works: LGRD Minister  “When Sheikh Hasina came to power in 2009, our per capita income was below $700. In the last one decade, our per capita income has risen to $2,554,” he added. He also said it may increase to three thousand dollars this year. Tajul  said Dhaka WASA has acquired the capacity to supply water to all city dwellers in the capital. Besides, the government is working tirelessly to meet the water needs of people across the country, including setting up water treatment plants in Chattogram, Rajshahi and Khulna, he added. The minister said that several initiatives have been taken and work is underway to provide quality water to Dhaka dwellers. Pipelines for water supply are very old and mostly unusable. Now they are being replaced with better quality pipes. In this regard, he said that Dhaka WASA was able to supply 60 per cent water in the capital in 1996. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been working to improve water quality and increase supply. Of these, Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant Phase-1 and 2 have been completed, said the minister. “Now the construction work of Sayedabad Phase-3 is going on. As a result of these development works, Dhaka WASA has already been able to supply water to cent per cent dwellers.” However, there are many complaints received in WASA. The minister instructed the WASA authorities to be more responsible in resolving the allegations. He said Sheikh Hasina's government is working for development in all sectors including power, education, health, communication, agriculture equally. Read: Dengue cases likely to come down within a month: LGRD Minister The PM has also set a target to graduate to a developed country by 2041. Already food shortages and 100% electrification as well as transformation into digital Bangladesh have been achieved. Additional Secretary LGRD Department Muhammad Ibrahim, Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission (BSEC) Chairman Prof Shibli Rubayat-Ul-Islam and Dhaka WASA Managing Director Taqsem A Khan were also present at the event. Thirty-four banks and three mobile banks were awarded crests and certificates for their special contribution to WASA bill collection.

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (DWasa) has handed the responsibility of drainage system management and canals in Dhaka to the city corporations to solve the waterlogging woes.

The Cabinet Committee on Public Purchase has approved 4 procurement proposals of Tk 428.98 crore including a contract awarding for Dhaka WASA’s network improvement project.

The government has extended the tenure of Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) managing directors of Dhaka and Chattogram for three years.

State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury on Wednesday said treatment plants will be installed at the threshold of drainages to check water pollution of Buriganga River.

A day after a hike in power tariffs, Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Wasa) on Friday raised the water tariff, dealing a double blow to consumers.   It issued a notice hiking the water tariff for both residential and commercial users.   The price of per unit (1,000 litres) of water has been fixed at Tk 14.46 from the existing Tk 11.57, a rise by 24.97 percent, for residential users while Tk 40 from the current Tk 37.04, up by 9.94 percent, for commercial consumers.   The new rates will come into effect on April 1, the notice said.   This was the 2nd water tariff hike in a span of eight months.