Thirty-year-old Aklima Akter of Mirpur s Duaripara slum shares her tiny and slippery hanging latrine with over 80 people in her neighbourhood.
The latrine is made out of tin and installed above a waterbody. It allows feces to fall through a pipe and contaminate the water. In absence of running water and hand-washing facilities, Aklima and her neighbours depend on one wash jug (bodna) of water to clean themselves after defecation.
During menstruation, it becomes more challenging for the poorest of the poor like Aklima to wash unsanitary rags inside the tiny space with such a small amount of water.
If she goes out to collect another wash jug of water, she hears taunting words from the male neighbours.