"Although the government has targeted to bring all under the sanitation coverage by 2010, but it could be achieved far ahead of the deadline if all political parties are integrated to it," he said at a meeting yesterday at the LGED Bhaban.

The government with backing from NGOs and public representatives has launched a nationwide sanitation campaign to ensure hygienic latrines for all within the year 2010.

Bangladesh was listed third among SAARC countries in terms of people having sanitation facilities, sources said. Mannan Bhuiyan said letters would be sent to all political parties requesting them to extend full cooperation to the sanitation campaign, which would save lives of hundreds of children, who die of diarrhoea and dysentery.

He said, letters would also be sent to the chiefs of police, BDR, Ansar and armed forces as well as civil administrations soon to ask their men to set up hygienic latrines at their village homes.

Chaired by Dhaka Divisional Commissioner A H M Abdul Quashem, the function was addressed by State Minister for LGRD and Cooparatives Ziaul Haq Zia, Local Govt Division Secretary A Y B I Siddiqui, LGED Chief Engineer Shahidul Hassan, Chief Engineer of DPHE Farid Uddin Ahmed, UNICEF representative Shafiqul Islam and Plan Bangladesh representative Dibalok Singha.