Project Completion Report: WASH Intervention at Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque Charramonimohon Union, Laxmipur District

Organisation: ALO

Project Location: Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque, Charramonimohon Union, Laxmipur Date of

Completion: 20th October, 2025

Field Documentation: ALO volunteer team visit and interviews.

Report By: Kazi Altaf Mahmood

Project Completion Report WASH Intervention at Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque Charramonimohon Union, Laxmipur District

Implementing Organisation: ALO (Grassroots Community Development Initiative) Project Location: Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque, Charramonimohon Union, Laxmipur Date of Completion: December 2025 (as documented during field visit) Documentation: Direct field visit and interviews conducted by ALO volunteer team

Background

Charramonimohon Union is a characteristically modest and underserved rural area within Laxmipur District, where communities have faced persistent difficulties in securing reliable supplies of clean drinking water and adequate sanitation facilities for many years. The Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque functions as a central place of worship and an important venue for community gatherings. Prior to this intervention, the mosque had no dependable source of safe drinking water, and the existing ablution facilities were outdated and in poor condition, creating considerable hardship for worshippers and neighbouring households alike.

Laxmipur District, situated in the coastal belt of Bangladesh, shares the long-standing water quality and access challenges that have affected much of the region since the 1990s, when widespread arsenic contamination of shallow groundwater was first identified and subsequently recognised as one of the world’s largest cases of mass poisoning. To this day, national figures indicate that only approximately 59% of the population has access to safely managed drinking water services, with rural areas showing even greater gaps. Recent data from 2022 recorded a slight decline to 59.11% for safely managed sources, while more than 70 million people nationwide continue to lack such access.

In Laxmipur specifically, the severe monsoon flooding of 2024 isolated more than 300 villages, leading to acute shortages of drinking water and exacerbating existing vulnerabilities. These periodic climate-related disruptions compound the underlying problems of arsenic contamination, increasing salinity intrusion in coastal aquifers, and the growing frequency of extreme weather events.

The resulting public health burden is substantial. Waterborne diseases—including acute watery diarrhoea, cholera, dysentery, typhoid fever, and hepatitis—remain common, particularly following heavy rainfall and flooding. During the 2024 floods, health facilities in affected districts reported up to 3,000 hospitalisations for water- and sanitation-related illnesses in a single day at the peak of the crisis.

Government initiatives to address rural water supply and sanitation have been in place since the late 1990s, supported by multilateral partners including the World Bank. Notable among current efforts is the Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Human Capital Development Project, which seeks to expand coverage and strengthen institutional capacity. Despite these programmes, implementation in many districts, including Laxmipur, continues to face significant constraints. Local government bodies remain heavily dependent on central government allocations, which limits their operational autonomy. Chronic shortages of trained personnel, inadequate monitoring and supervision mechanisms, and insufficient recurrent funding have hindered sustained progress.

On the policy front, national strategies set ambitious targets for universal coverage, yet they frequently encounter structural obstacles: budgetary limitations, rapid population growth, uneven institutional capacity, and insufficient community-level training. Sustainability remains a major concern, as many installed water points suffer from recurring arsenic issues, progressive salinity intrusion, and physical degradation due to climate variability, often with limited arrangements for long-term maintenance and repair.

Project Overview

In response to these longstanding needs, ALO volunteers recently completed a targeted Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) intervention at Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque. The project was designed and implemented in close collaboration with the local community, with the aim of delivering practical, durable improvements that serve both the mosque and the surrounding population.

The principal components were as follows:

Installation of a new deep tube-well providing a reliable source of clean and safe drinking water
Construction of a modern ablution hall fitted with multiple water taps
Complete repainting of the entire mosque building
Cement rendering and finishing of the ablution area to enhance hygiene and durability

The total project cost amounted to 80,000 Bangladeshi Taka (approximately USD 655 at the prevailing exchange rate in December 2025). This sum covered drilling and installation of the tube-well, supply and fitting of water taps, cementing works, painting materials, and labour.

Community Impact

During the field visit, Muhammad Saiful Islam, Treasurer and Caretaker of the mosque, described the tangible difference the improvements have already made. He explained that the new deep tube-well now supplies safe water not only for the mosque’s daily requirements but also for approximately 15 neighbouring households—an estimated 60–75 individuals, depending on average family size.

The newly constructed ablution hall, equipped with properly functioning taps, has greatly simplified ritual ablution and improved overall hygiene standards. The fresh coat of paint has restored a clean, welcoming appearance to the mosque, which has been warmly received by the local community. In the coming months, ALO intends to provide a supply of prayer mats to complete the support package.

These modest but carefully targeted interventions have delivered immediate relief, enhanced comfort, and restored a measure of dignity to worshippers and residents who previously faced daily difficulties in meeting basic water and hygiene needs.

ALO’s Approach

ALO is committed to grassroots community development, working across diverse backgrounds to improve access to essential services such as safe water, sanitation, and basic infrastructure. Every project is deliberately designed to generate lasting, positive change at the local level, while remaining responsive to the priorities and perspectives of the communities themselves.

The intervention at Moju Chowdhury Hat Mosque illustrates the potential of focused, community-partnered support to bring meaningful improvement to underserved areas.

The full conversation with Muhammad Saiful Islam is available for viewing, allowing direct insight into the experiences of those who benefit from this work on a daily basis.

Continued support enables ALO to extend similar initiatives to other communities in need. If this account resonates, we would be grateful if you would share it with others who value practical, on-the-ground development efforts.

References

Around 59% national access (rural/urban gaps): UNICEF DATA – Progress on household drinking water, sanitation and hygiene 2000-2022 (2023 report). Source: https://data.unicef.org/resources/jmp-report-2023/

Arsenic emergence in 1990s, millions affected (largest mass poisoning): PMC article on arsenic in groundwater (2018-2025 updates) and Wikipedia on arsenic contamination in Bangladesh. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6281155/

2024 floods affecting Laxmipur (over 300 villages cut off, drinking water shortages): Humanitarian Response Plans (HCTT, 2024-2025) and WHO/UNICEF situation reports. Source: https://sheltercluster.org/bangladesh-floods-2024/documents/bangladesh-hctt-humanitarian-response-plan-cyclone-and-monsoon

Hospitalizations from diarrhea, cholera, etc., during 2024 floods (160,000+ total cases, including thousands daily): WHO Bangladesh (2024) and Reuters/Lancet coverage (September 2024). Source: https://www.who.int/bangladesh/news/detail/04-11-2024-rising-waters–rising-challenges-who-s-response-to-severe-flooding-in-bangladesh

Rural Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Human Capital Development Project (World Bank/AIIB-funded, ongoing since 2020): World Bank project documents (2020-2025). Source: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/loans-credits/2020/09/24/bangladesh-rural-water-sanitation-and-hygiene-for-human-capital-development-project

Ongoing arsenic, salinity, climate impacts (coastal focus including Laxmipur): Frontiers in Water/Public Health (2024-2025) and ReliefWeb climate studies. Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1610311/full