The country's 99 percent of the population has come under the basic sanitation coverage, LGRD Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain told parliament yesterday.

"Bangladesh has already achieved substantial success in broadening sanitation coverage. Now... only one percent of the people defecate in open places," he said.

Of the population, 61 percent use modern latrines, 28 percent use shared latrines, and 10 percent use undeveloped latrines, he added. "The rate of open defecation came down to almost zero from 42 percent in 2003."

In another reply, he said the government would build a water source for every 50 people in rural areas to ensure safe water and dig a pond in every village.