DHAKA • A green latrine? That is exactly what public health engineer Mizanur Rahman, 59, has invented. It's a renewable, environmentally friendly latrine that could effectively tackle the problem of sanitation management in Bangladesh.

This unique latrine has two septic tanks. It ensures a green environment as the waste does not need to be disposed of in the open. When one of the septic tanks is eventually filled with human waste after about two years, the sluice valve will close the tank and open the other for fresh waste to be channelled. In the meantime, the waste in the first tank will gradually dry and be transformed into organic fertiliser.

Currently, human excretion has to be cleared from a traditional latrine after a certain time. This waste is usually dumped into ponds, reservoirs or rivers, resulting in environmental pollution.

Thirty-five latrines have been set up in Trishal and six have been set up elsewhere.