DU Correspondent

A two-day Sanitation Hackathon 2012, an intensive brainstorming and programming marathon, started to find out innovative IT applications to tackle poverty in Bangladesh.

More than 300 young IT professionals, mostly university students, with the help of subject experts have started the intensive brainstorming programme at a city hotel Friday.

Information and Communication Technology Secretary M Nazrul Islam Khan formally inaugurated the programme.

Among others, World Bank Operation Adviser in Dhaka Christine Kimes, Regional Sanitation Specialist Mirva Moilalen WSP and Banglalion CEO Neil Graham addressed the inaugural session.

The World Bank with many other development partners and stakeholders initiated this process which is the culmination of the Water Hakathon held in October 2011.

Mr Khan also national project director of A2I programme of prime minister's office called upon the participating young IT professionals to implement their critical IT hacking knowledge for the country's development.

Christine Kimes said the innovative IT solution would contribute to address the lack of access to basic sanitation by 2.6 billion people across the globe which results in death of approximately 4,000 children per day and billions of dollars in economic losses.

Mirva Moilanen said that using new technologies like data maps, mobile games, SMS services, crowd sourcing and opening up data could provide possible answers to solve various problems related to development.

She informed the audience that the participating young IT professionals would develop a strong network engaging local communities for future collaboration for addressing the challenges in the sanitation sector.