Dhaka WASA

Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (Bengali: ঢাকা ওয়াসা) is a Bangladesh government agency under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives responsible for water and sewage disposal in Dhaka and Narayanganj.^[1] Fazlur Rahman is the Managing Director since September 19th 2024. ^[2]

Dhaka WASA

ঢাকা পানি সরবরাহ ও পয়ঃনিষ্কাশন কর্তৃপক্ষ
Seal of Dhaka WASA
Agency overview
Formed	1963; 62 years ago (1963)
Jurisdiction	Greater Dhaka
Headquarters	Wasa Bhavan, 98 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue, Kawran Bazar, Dhaka
Agency executive	Fazlur Rahman, Managing Director
Parent agency	Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives
Website	dwasa.org.bd

History

Dhaka WASA was established in 1963 as an independent agency with the responsibility to supply water and sewage disposal to Dhaka. It also became responsible of water and sewage Narayanganj in 1990. In 1996, it became an autonomous for-profit body with the passage of WASA Act.^[3] On 16 March 2019, Parliamentary Standing Committee on Estimate recommended that the government of Bangladesh split Dhaka WASA into two different bodies along North and South Dhaka.^[4]

Criticism

In a 2019, Transparency International Bangladesh reported that Dhaka WASA had what The Daily Star characterized as "rampant graft" and provided "poor service".^[5] In four out of ten zones of WASA, it was supplying water contaminated with harmful bacteria.^[6] According to a WASA report submitted to Bangladesh High Court, Dhaka WASA was supplying polluted water to 57 areas of Dhaka.^[7] Moreover, appointment of Wasa Managing Director Taqsem A Khan has been appointed as the MD for sixth consecutive terms of varying lengths, which create huge controversy despite widespread allegations of failure to provide safe water and improve waterlogging.^[8]

In October 2022, Dhaka WASA denied the allegations of corruption, asking for evidence.^[9] The Managing Director, Taqsem A. Khan, had been sued on charges of embezzling money from the employees fund.^[9] Anti Corruption Commission launched an investigation against Taqsem A. Khan.^[10]

Board of directors

Name	Designation	Represents		Reference
Sujit Kumar Bala	Chairman	Consumers		[11]
Md. Khairul Islam	Director	Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives		[11]
Rehana Perven	Director	Ministry of Finance		[11]
Imran Ahmed	Director	Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry		[11]
Sabbir Ahmed	Director	The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh		[11]
	Director	Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh		[11]
HAM Zahirul Islam Khan (Z. I. Khan Panna)	Director	Bangladesh Bar Council		[11]
Md. Dip Azad	Director	Bangladesh Federal Union of Journalists		[11]
Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin	Director	Bangladesh Medical Association		[11]
A. K. M. A. Hamid	Director	Institution of Diploma Engineers, Bangladesh		[11]
Kha. Ma. Mamun Rashid Shuvro	Director	Dhaka South City Corporation		[11]
Shikha Chakrobrothy	Director	Dhaka North City Corporation		[11]
Taqsem A Khan	CEO and Managing Director	N/A		[11]
Fazlur Rahman	CEO and Managing Director	Independent		[2]