Bhumijo Limited

Company

Bhumijo provides hygienic and affordable smart toilets in low-income areas by building new toilets or renovating and managing existing facilities.

Problem

For the more than 5 million people who commute daily on the roads of Dhaka, there are fewer than 50 usable public toilets. This has a disproportionate impact on low-income populations and women, who often spend 12 to 16 hours a day outside their homes.

Solution

Bhumijo provides hygienic, inclusive and affordable smart toilets in low-income areas, with extra services such as showers, clean drinking water, laundry, refreshments and advertising space. These services are available through a subscription or pay-per-use model. Their centres offer a separate area for women to ensure their privacy and safety. The GSMA supported Bhumijo in March 2022 to digitise the operation of their public toilets. With the grant, Bhumijo trialled a suite of technologies, including a touchless entry system and an Android mobile app for users to pay for a subscription and receive information on hygiene.

Impact

Since partnering with the GSMA, Bhumijo has:

– Had more than 522,000 walk-in users and more than 3,600 subscribers to their digitised toilets. Bhumijo operates 42 centres in Bangladesh that serve 8,000 people daily, 20% of whom are female.

– Improved access to quality water and sanitation services for 100% of their users.

– Partnered with JTI Bangladesh through their JTI Global WASH Initiative to develop and operate sanitation centres at busy urban hubs in Bangladesh.

Founder

Farhana Rashid

Message from the Founder

“Bhumijo envisions to build a future with dignified, healthy and smart public toilets that everyone in Bangladesh deserves. We are grateful to have the GSMA as a partner in this journey.”

– Farhana Rashid, Founder