Report of Annual review, monitoring and assistance with the forward starategy for Sylhet Partnership Company Lead member and officers visit to Sylhet, Bangladesh 30th March 2002 - 10th April 2002

Saturday 30 March 2002

Arrived in Sylhet airport at 5pm. Received by Ayub Korom Ali, Project Director, Sylhet Partnership.

Sunday 31 March 2002

10am arrived at the Sylhet Partnership office in the Sylhet City Corporation building. Introduction to all local staff: Uttam Kumar Saha, Project Officer, Zakir Ahmed Shumon, Finance Officer, Abdul Razzaque, Waste Management Supervisor and Abdullah Fahmyee Bin Hossain, Admin Officer.

Itinerary confirmation with Lead Member and Project Director.

Meeting with Mr A K M Samsuddin, Sylhet Divisional Commissioner to request to forward file (application for compost site land) to the land ministry, central government.

Under the Waste Management Pilot Project (see 'Keep Sylhet Clean' project plan) there is a proposal to compost organic waste into resources ie fertiliser for plants. The Sylhet Partnership has identified an area of derelict land (government owned) which can be used as a composting plant. The Partnership has applied for this land, hence the meeting with the Divisional Commissioner.

Called on Mr Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, Sylhet City Corporation Chairman, Abul Hashem, Sylhet City Corporation Chief Executive, Syed Ghulam Sarwar, Public Health Executive Engineer, Sylhet Division and Syed Ahmed Hussain, elected Commissioner, Sylhet City Corporation to introduce and explain purpose of the Tower Hamlets delegation.

Monday 1 April 2002

Attended Certificate Giving Ceremony of Sylhet City Corporation staff development programme. Present were Cllr Belal Ahmed, chief guest and Annette Zera, Tower Hamlets College Principal and tutor of the course.

'Management Development Programme for Sylhet City Corporation' training was aimed at senior managers of the Sylhet City Corporation. The course covered topics such as effective teams, organisational skills, planning, managing, communication and budget management. Annette Zera, an experienced management consultant assisted the Sylhet Partnership in delivering this training programme. Annette Zera visited Sylhet between 23 March 2002-2 April 2002 and delivered a programme on 27 March 2002.

22 senior managers of Sylhet Corporation attended the programme and received training. (see 'Sylhet Senior Management & Supervisory Team-Management Development Programme').

Wednesday 2 April 2002

Assisted with Sylhet Partnership's 1st newsletter proofreading and editing.

In the afternoon left Sylhet for Dhaka.

Wednesday 3 April 2002

In Dhaka

Met Shekil Chowdhury, Chairman of Sylhet Investors Forum and board member of Sylhet Partnership.

Meeting with Abdul Razzak, Chairman, Bangladesh Parjatan (tourism) Corporation to further inform him of Sylhet Partnership's 'Leisure & Recreation Complex'. Mr Razzak was impressed with the proposal and pleased to hear of foreign partnership involvement. He suggested we include cable car ride and ensure ample parking space. The closing date for the final bid is the 16 April 2002. Ayub Korom Ali in person will deliver the bid (see 'Children's Amusement Park' bid).

Thursday 4 April 2002

Meeting with Mr Sayfur Rahman, Minister of Finance & Planning to ensure support for waste management compost site and Leisure & Recreation complex proposal.

Project update meeting with Mr Zillul Hye Razi, Economic & Political Officer (lead officer for our project), Delegation of the European Commission in Bangladesh.

Visited Fantasy Kingdom (amusement park) in Ashulia, Dhaka to acquire knowledge in relation to our proposed leisure & recreation complex in Sylhet. Made contact with Major Prothim, Managing Director and Vitti, the architects who worked with the construction company Concord.

Fantasy Kingdom amusement park

Friday 5 April 2002

Return to Sylhet with Lis Alminde, Consultant, Health International, Horsens.

Saturday 6 April 2002

Health & Poverty Network meeting-cancelled due to general strike called by the main opposition party.

Sunday 7 April 2002

BEE (Better Environment for Education) school visits to see the result of 'early win project' and to get a better understanding and appreciation of the work done and its value to the school community.

Visited Aided High School, one of the first schools to have work done so. Received by Biraj Madob Chakrabarty Manosh, Head Teacher.

Aided High School

Also visited Roshmoi Memorial School, the last school where BEE work was carried out. Met Mr Farid Uddin, Head Teacher, staff and students. All seemed very pleased with the works carried out by the Sylhet Partnership.

Meeting with Mr Jamil Chowdhury, President and Ms Jomila Akther, Programme Co-ordinator of Grameen Jonokallyan Sangsad (GJKS) in their office in Uposhohor, sylhet.

The GJKS works in collaboration with other government and non govt agencies (NGO's) for the welfare of people of haor (low land) area of Sylhet region. The GJKS has a development programme that covers health, education, communication, accommodation and human rights issues for the people of rural areas of Sylhet Division.

A delegation of the GJKS is intending to visit the UK in the near future. Courtesy meeting with Moinul Islam, Adviser, Immigration Advisory Service (UK) Bangladesh Office.

Visited Sylhet City Corporation's landfill site and our proposed compost site to see how solid waste is currently being disposed by the City Corporation and to get an understanding of the scale of the problem the demonstration project is expected to address and an understanding of how the pilot project fits in with the overall waste management strategy.

landfill site	training of senior City Corporation Managers

Visited Sylhet Parjatan site, location for the proposed Leisure & Recreation Complex to get an understanding and appreciation of the geography and ecology of the proposed site.

Visited catering/chef training centre 'International Hotel & Tourism Training Institute' (IHTTI). The institute is Bangladesh Government approved and runs training programmes of international standard proposed by the European Union, UNDP and ILO.

Attended Sylhet Partnership Board meeting (see board papers).

International Hotel & Tourism Training Institute (IHTTI)

Monday 8 April 2002

Trip to Moulvibazar Municipality with greetings and goodwill message from the LBTH leader Cllr Halal Abbas-received by Mahmudur Rahman, City Corporation Chairman (who recently visited LBTH) and 10/12 City Corporation Commissioners (elected representatives).

Moulvibazar Municipality requested assistance with landscaping the small piece of land in front of the City Corporation building and in improving Moulvibazar's lake & adjacent children's park.

As Cllr Abbas is keen to recruit trained nurses from Bangladesh to meet the shortages of nurses in this country, we visited Government run Nursing Training Institute.

Swarna Teresa Corraya, Nursing Instructor in Charge & Dr Saidur Rahman, Civil Surgeon's Office gave a guided tour of the Institute. At present the Institute trains 20 nurses every year. The Institute trains nurses up to two years. Then they are passed on to other training institutes to complete the four year diploma course. The Institute is planning to run the full four year diploma course.

On our way back to Sylhet, we passed through Kulaura Municipality, stopped at Barlekha Municipality and Beanibazar Municipality. We also passed through Shaola Bridge, which is featured in the opening page of Sylhet Partnership's website.

Nursing Training Institute

Tuesday 9 April 02

Dreamland Park (amusement park) recently opened by the Finance Minister of Bangladesh-a joint venture by Bangladeshi businesses and UK Bengali entrepreneurs. The site is 10km from Sylhet town and the park work is in progress. Most of the equipment has been imported from China and Italy.

Dreamland Park

Wednesday 10 April 2002

Visited Sunamgonj Municipality with greetings from the LBTH leader Cllr Halal Abbas. Met by Dewan Monimul Moizuddin, City Corporation Chairman, who is visiting the UK in June 2002, and will hold talks with LBTH leader.

Sunamgonj is situated in the haor (low land) area of Sylhet region and has a serious water management problem. The Sunamgonj Municipality is therefore looking for assistance in water/drainage planning.

Visited 'Adorsho Shishu Shikka Niketon' primary school, which could benefit from a BEE project.

Visiting a primary school in Sunamgonj

Visited City Corporation Cleaners Commune. City Corporation is planning to build a multi-storey block of flats for the cleaners.

Visited Hason Raja's (the great philosopher, songwriter) ancestral home and an agriculture fair.

Sylhet Partnership offered to assist with replicating the Waste Management Pilot Project in Sunamgonj.

TH delegation meeting chairman of Sunamgonj Municipality

Thursday 11 April 2002

Monitoring meeting with Finance Officer

Monitoring meeting with Project Officer

(see monitoring report)

Saturday 13 April 2002

Completed newsletter.

Monitoring meeting with Project Director.

Visited OMI (Organisation Mothers & Infants) a local NGO, where Lis Alminde, Health Consultant from Horsens, was training the OMI volunteers.

Lis, who had previously visited Sylhet between 14 Feb 2002-19 Feb 2002, undertook the initial research and was now implementing the Health & Poverty Demonstration Project.

The project is aimed at slum dwellers and the objective is to assist in improving hygiene and health environment of the slum settlements (see Draft Project Plan).

There were 6 trainees who seemed impressed with the training and the training materials/tools. They felt the tools were simple and effective when working with mothers & infants. Today was the last day of their training; they would start working in the slum area from the 16 April 2002.

Went to see Jamil Chowdhury, Partnership Board Chairman. Mr Chowdhury was satisfied with the progress so far but strongly felt the project should continue beyond Dec 2002, as the project would make positive contribution to improve the quality of life of the citizens of Sylhet town and also upgrade the skills of Sylhet City Corporation thus making it more effective.

Tuesday 16 April 2002

Meeting with Mr Badar Uddin Ahmed Kamran, Chairman, Sylhet City Corporation. Mr Kamran felt the project was going well but felt there was scope to improve communication between the Sylhet Partnership and the Sylhet City Corporation.

Conclusions

1. General progress-The Sylhet Partnership project is now registered as a 'not for profit' making company and operating with its own board of management and a dynamic staff team. The work of the company is progressing extremely well and according to plan. The Baseline Study Survey of Sylhet town is complete, this is probably the first of this kind of a study. This Study can now be used by anybody wanting to carry out development work in Sylhet The Pilot Waste Management and Health Demonstration has already been launched with great success. 22 senior managers of Sylhet City Corporation has been trained in management. At present the company is working towards acquiring contracts for the long term projects of leisure & recreation and waste management. The company is also seeking further funding sources to continue the project after the EC funding comes to an end in Dec 2002.

2. Waste Management-Based on the report 'A Waste Management Framework for Sylhet City Corporation' in August 2001 by Mike Colyer, Head of Waste Management, LBTH, a pilot project 'Keep Sylhet Clean' was launched on the 17 March 2002. The pilot project covers ward 1 area of the Sylhet City Corporation.

During our visit to Sylhet the operation was in full swing. The project is very visible with signs/ bins installed and 8 rickshaw vans collecting on two shifts, daily basis. In the morning the garbage is collected from the businesses and in the afternoon from the households. Extensive leafletting was done prior to the launch. The response is positive, and other wards are requesting similar scheme to be implemented in their area.

The intention is expand the project to all the other 13 wards of the City Corporation. The current pilot project is funded by the British High Commission in Bangladesh. They have granted £10,617 for the current year and a second installment of £23,599 for the year 2003.

3. Health & Poverty Demonstration Project-During our visit to Sylhet, Health International, Horsens were implementing the Health Project. Based on our Baseline Survey produced by the Shahjala University and on the recommendation of the Civil Surgeon of Sylhet, slum area was chosen as the focus of the work of the Health Demonstration Project.

According to the Baseline Survey, 21% of people in Sylhet town are considered to be poor, and the people living in the slums are the poorest. The health situation in the slum settlements is poor especially in terms of basic facilities and hygiene.

The Health Demonstration Project has trained local NGO workers to work with slum dwellers in promoting hygiene and management of water and sanitation facilities.

4. Forward strategy for the Sylhet Partnership Company-It is envisaged the 'Leisure & Recreation Complex' and the long term 'Waste Management Project' (dependent upon raising further funds) would generate sufficient income to carry on the work of Sylhet Partnership.

Ansar Ahmed Ullah
Asia Urbs Programme Manager

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