He is the president of an 11-member Village Wash Committee (VWC) of Naudhar village under Trishal Pouroshava in the district.

The committee works for creating awareness among the villagers to practise safe hygiene and sanitation.

"Earlier I was not bothered about the practice of hygiene among the neighbours due to my personal preoccupation, but now we have got to realise the importance of hygiene practice by all for a healthy and sustainable environment," said Aziz.

The other members of the committee include local government representative (one male and one female), ansar and VDP member, religious leader, and small entrepreneur of the same village.

They hold meeting once in a month and discuss sanitation and hygiene issues.

There are a total of 2139 VWCs in six upazilas namely Mymensingh Sadar, Trishal, Bhaluka, Gafargaon, Haluaghat and Gouripur.

These committees are working to create awareness among people about hygiene practice, which can prevent 90 percent of diseases in rural areas, said a health expert.

With a view to help achieving hundred percent sanitation across the country by 2010, Brac launched this awareness campaign known as Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme initially in 50 upazilas of Bogra, Mymensingh, Khulna, Dinajpur, Panchagarh, Thakurgaon, Feni and Noakhali in May 2006, said Alamgir Hossain, senior regional manager of Brac health programme.

Brac is going to expand its WASH network in another 50 upazilas in Magura, Jhenidah, Kushtia, Sherpur, Sylhet, Sunamganj, Hobiganj and Cox's Bazar from the next month.

Bishwajit Sarker, regional health coordinator of Mymensingh WASH programme, said it aims at eliminating the practice of using unhygienic latrine and water among the rural and underprivileged people.

Some 37.5 million people in 150 upazilas of 41 districts will be benefited by this programme through the change of their behaviour, he added.

Bishwajit said community leaders including local government representatives, ansar and VDP members, retired teachers, religious leaders and small entrepreneurs can play the advocacy role in implementing the WASH programme.

While talking to this correspondent, Aziz said although many of the villagers were aware of cleanliness but only few of them set up sanitary latrines and followed health rules.

The VWC has been able to develop fraternity among the villagers, and as a result they now care for each other's health and environment, said Rebeka Sultana, management trainee of WASH programme in Trishal Upazila.

Naima Sultana, who works at Naudhar village as programme assistant of WASH, however pointed out some problems regarding motivating villagers to give voluntary services.

"Most of the VWC members and other villagers seem reluctant in giving time for a meeting, and often they ask for free latrine, tubewell and other things in exchange of their time that they spend in attending a meeting and following hygiene practice," she added.

Admitting this, Kamal Ahmed, a small entrepreneur and VWC member, said 60 percent people of his village are unable to meet their family expenses let alone a sanitary latrine.

Although pouroshava provides some construction materials free of cost to insolvent people, but the meagre quantity is not enough to set up a sanitary latrine, he alleged.

Furatan Begum, 50, a housewife of Modhyabarera village under Aqua Union of Sadar upazila, said, "We were given only one ring slab whereas at least six slabs are required to build a sanitary latrine."

"Moreover, the slab broke down a few months ago when I tried to place it," she added.

When asked, Mofiz Uddin, deputy assistant engineer of public health and engineering department, said earlier the materials were collected locally by the local government representatives, and as such there was little scope to check the quality.

"However, the local government and engineering department has now decided to collect the materials under its direct supervision to ensure quality," he added.