DHAKA, Aug 31, 2026 (BSS) - Dhaka South City Corporation (DSCC) and Bidyanondo Foundation have jointly launched an initiative to encourage citizens' participation in keeping the city clean and ensure proper waste management by providing essential commodities in exchange for waste.

DSCC Administrator Md Abdus Salam inaugurated the programme today as the chief guest at a field adjacent to the Hazaribagh slum in the capital.

Following the inauguration, local residents deposited different types of waste and collected essential commodities, including rice, lentils, cooking oil, salt, potatoes and tissues, from temporary stalls.

Addressing the event, the DSCC administrator said active participation by citizens is essential for keeping the city clean.

He said dumping plastic and other waste in drains and sewers obstructs water drainage and causes waterlogging. If citizens deposit waste at designated places, it will help address waterlogging and protect the environment, he added.

Announcing plans to expand the initiative across the city, Salam said a permanent stall would be set up in Gulistan within the next week.

He also said initiatives have been taken to establish a permanent stall in each DSCC ward within the next three to four months.

He further said a "Food in Exchange for Reading Books" programme would be introduced at convenient locations of Secondary Transfer Stations (STSs), with chairs, tables and books for street children.

Mentioning support for the livelihoods of marginalised communities as one of the aims of the programme, Bidyanondo Foundation Executive Director Jamal Uddin said, "We are not merely helping marginalised people; we are making them partners in keeping the city clean."

He said nearly Taka 1 crore had been earned by selling plastic waste over the past two years. The money had made it possible to provide meals to around 400,000 people.

Under the project, a target has been set to collect around 100,000 kilograms of waste through 100 mobile campaigns over the next year.