Dear Roshan Ji,
No word to appreciate you rather than to say, “You serve as a brand ambassador for the sanitation sector and believe that you will carry out this role for a lifetime.”
Take care,
Syed Adnan Ibna Hakim
WASH Specialist
UNICEF Bangladesh Country Office
Mobile & WhatsApp: +8801720285772 | Email: saihakim@unicef.org
Dear Dada,
Good morning from Bangladesh. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible journey with you. I can clearly remember our first meeting in 2013 at Hotel Lakeshore, Dhaka, on a Saturday afternoon. The journey began from there with you. So many precious moments, countless days Shishir and I talked with you. You are my elder brother, Dada. You shaped my life. I got the chance to do my MSc only because of you. You always inspired me to fly high. The journey of FSM started and was shaped through your tremendous efforts. I feel fortunate to have you as an elder brother in my life. I always pray to GOD for your good health and happiness. And I am sure you are not retiring; you just finished a phase. Though I am a little creature, even then, if you need any assistance from me, please let me know, Dada. I will be very happy to assist you. Thanks is a little word for me to express my gratitude to you, Dada. I am grateful and will always be to the end of my life. Have a wonderful journey for the next step.
Thanks and best regards,
Sharmistha Debnath,
DPHE
Namaste Dr. Roshan,
Thank you for sharing this deeply moving message. It is difficult to put into words how much your leadership and vision have meant to me and to many of us who have had the privilege of working with you.
Your dedication to transforming the sanitation sector, your unwavering belief in equal opportunities, especially for women, and your ability to inspire action through humility and care have left a lasting impact. I remain deeply grateful for the opportunity to learn from your leadership and vision.
While I feel a sense of sadness at this news, I am also filled with deep respect and admiration for all that you have accomplished and continue to lead. Wishing you peace, joy, and precious time with your family as you plan this new chapter in your life.
With heartfelt gratitude and respect,
Isha Basyal
Dear Dr. Roshan,
I was really shocked when I received your mail (Bangladesh time very early in the morning). Still I recalled our first meeting with you and then gradually engaged with Gates Foundation and AIT. Thanks for your support and guidance. Best wishes for your next journey.
Regards,
Anowarul Arif Khan
Very dear Roshan,
You told me that you were thinking of retiring and returning to Nepal, but I hadn’t expected it to happen so soon! I do think this is a well-deserved move and also wise on a personal level as you say to be with your family. I hope your sons are joining you as well.
As I read through your mail I smiled, because it is impossible to describe such a long and rich career in one email! There are too many things to be proud of. For me personally it has been incredibly rewarding to work with you. Sometimes we disagreed but that brought us further and there was never a doubt about commitment. The change in sanitation has been transformational, something one hopes for but sometimes doubts whether it is achievable. Your energy and vision pished us all forward.
I’m sure you’ll continue to be of value for the sector and perhaps also for Nepal in a broader sense. The world is such a mess. Today it is election day in the Netherlands. I am very worried that extreme right will win again or even bigger. Let’s hope not.
Good luck wrapping up Roshan and all the best with the move!
Warmest,
Antoinette Kome
Hi Roshan,
Congratulations on your well-deserved retirement. You should be very proud of what you have achieved, not only for advancing WASH globally, but also for inspiring a new generation of WASH champions and leaders to continue the excellent work you have started. I have definitely benefited significantly from your guidance and the opportunities you have provided to me.
I assume Sunita will join you in Nepal, but are your two boys (they are grown men now) staying in the US?
I will certainly come visit you and stay in your new house the next time I visit Nepal 😊
Tommy Kit Ngai,
Water Aid UK
Dear Roshan,
Warm greetings from UCLG ASPAC Secretariate in Jakarta City Hall.
On behalf of UCLG ASPAC and the MuNASS team, I’d like to thank you for your unwavering support and partnership since the inception of the MuNASS Programme in 2017. With your guidance, we have achieved meaningful progress towards our shared goal of advancing safe and inclusive sanitation in South and South East Asia. Your professional insights, encouragement, and genuine care have always inspired us to perform better.
You will be happy to know that UCLG ASPAC remains committed to promoting Citywide Inclusive Sanitation (CWIS) and strengthening policy advocacy in collaboration with our members and partners. The foundation you have helped to build will continue to guide our future actions.
I’d like to extend our heartfelt wishes for good health, happiness, and continued success. Retirement marks not an end, but the beginning of a new journey — one that we hope brings you much fulfilment and joy.
I hope we can remain connected.
With warm regards and best wishes,
Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi,
Secretary General of UCLG ASPAC
Dear Roshan,
Thanks for posting the ‘executive summary’ of a ‘thesis’ stating all the development on sanitation, especially FSM, in Bangladesh and generously mentioning the names working in and around and keeping me informed. It was a wonderful experience for me to work with you since early 2013, we have a lot of sweet memories. I learned a lot from you. It is always true that we have to STOP at one point, but the amazing thing is that you are going back to your mother. You are so lucky and definitely it will make you ‘mom’ happy more than anything else.
As you committed to continue the ‘journey’ from other perspectives, so we will be in touch.
I always wish for good health and good times.
Best wishes,
Prof Muhammed Alamgir
Dear Roshan Ji,
Thank you for sharing such a heartfelt and inspiring message. Reading your reflections brought back so many memories of the remarkable journey we’ve shared in transforming the sanitation landscape in this region.
It has been an honor to partner with the Gates Foundation over the past decade. Under your visionary leadership, we were able to build the National Sanitation System of Bangladesh—a milestone that stands as a testament to your unwavering commitment, strategic foresight, and ability to unite diverse stakeholders under a common purpose. Your guidance and trust empowered all of us to work collaboratively toward inclusive, sustainable, and resilient sanitation for every community.
Beyond your professional achievements, your humility, warmth, and mentorship have left a deep personal impression on everyone who has worked with you. You’ve not only advanced the sector but also nurtured a generation of practitioners who will continue to carry forward your legacy.
As you step into this new chapter back home in Nepal, I wish you peace, fulfillment, and precious moments with your loved ones. Your contributions will continue to inspire us, and we look forward to staying connected and continuing to learn from you in the years ahead.
With sincere gratitude and warm regards,
Planner Tamzidul Islam
Founder & CEO,
TILLER
Green Park Avenue, Level 10, House # 01, Road # 03,
Block # A, Section # 06, Mirpur, Dhaka 1216.
Mobile: +8801717428470 | web: www.tiller.com.bd | Skype: tamzid.pln
Dear Dr. Roshan,
Thank you for your inspiring and resourceful message and for your remarkable leadership over the years. Your vision, dedication, and mentorship have deeply influenced Bangladesh’s sanitation journey and strengthened partnerships across the sector. I am grateful to be remembered among such inspiring leaders in the sector.
Your support enabling me to present my papers at the upcoming IWA Conference in Bangkok is deeply appreciated. I look forward to meeting you there.
Wishing you the very best as you begin this new chapter in Nepal. Your legacy will continue to guide and inspire us toward achieving inclusive and sustainable sanitation for all.
Thanks and regards,
Dilruba Farzana
Deputy Project Director
Inclusive and Integrated Sanitation & Hygiene Project in 10 Priority Towns in Bangladesh,
Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE)
Contact no. +8801846177790
Dear Roshan,
What a thoughtful and heartfelt farewell!
Thank you for your very kind words regarding SNV – and for even remembering me! 😊
It was a great collaboration – and the lessons learned in Bangladesh have gone on to inform SNV work all over the globe. That’s a legacy we can all be content with.
It really feels like the end of an era!
Most of what I know about Urban San I learned from you, Ant and Rajeev!
I too have had a change. After 12 years on SNV’s Global Managing Board, I’ve stepped down and gone back to being a Country Director. Quite a change of pace for me. Based in Uganda.
Wishing you all the very best back in Nepal. Your mother must be thrilled to have you coming home. Relish the time together.
With warmest regards and great affection,
Megan Ritchie,
SNV
Dear Dr Roshan,
Thank you for your heartfelt message.
Since my arrival in Bangladesh, I’ve deeply appreciated your trust, warm collaboration, and foundational work advancing sanitation worldwide.
Your visionary leadership built Bangladesh’s National Sanitation System, mentored us all, and inspired inclusive progress.
Grateful for your support and great humor at the Toilet Conference and hoping to meet prior to starting your new chapter.
Wishing you peace and joy in Nepal; your legacy endures as you have truly merited to be appointed lifelong ambassador.
With warmest regards,
Peter Maes
Chief of WASH UNICEF
Hello Roshan,
It is always encouraging and fun to talk to you, work with you and be with you. I will always try to remain aligned with your mission, wherever you are.
Heartfelt thanks,
Alauddin
Dear Dr. Roshan,
On behalf of the Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB), I extend our deepest gratitude and warmest wishes to you as you enter this new chapter of life.
Your visionary leadership and tireless dedication have left a lasting mark in the Sanitation arena in the South East Asia particularly in the Bangladesh’s sanitation journey. Through your guidance, citywide inclusive sanitation has transformed from a concept to a reality – empowering municipalities, strengthening institutions and transforming lives.
We at MAB are honored to have worked with you on this remarkable transformation. Your friendship, humility and mentorship will always be remembered with the utmost respect and affection.
Though you will return to Nepal to be with your family, but your legacy continues to inspire us every day. You will always remain a dear friend and a lifelong ambassador of inclusive sanitation for Bangladesh.
With sincere gratitude and best wishes,
Parimal Kumar Dev
Chief Executive Officer,
Municipal Association of Bangladesh (MAB)
Former Additional Secretary, Government of Bangladesh
Advocate, Supreme Court of Bangladesh
Dear Dr. Roshan,
Good day. I am very great full to you during project implementation in Khulna city, Bangladesh. Your knowledge, intellectual capacity impressed KCC.
During covid pandemic, your advise and will to work among affected people appreciated very much.
On behalf of KCC we remember your activities whole of our life.
Thanks your every support to Khulna city.
Abir ul Jabbar
Chief Planning Officer
Khulna City Corporation,
Bangladesh
Dear Roshan Dai, dear friend,
Your remarkable journey in the sanitation sector continues to inspire us all. Your leadership and vision have truly transformed the sanitation landscape in Bangladesh and beyond, and I feel fortunate to have been part of that story.
Thank you for recognizing the work we accomplished together at the TA Hub for South Asia. Those experiences not only strengthened our professional collaboration but also built a friendship that I deeply value and hope to nurture in the years ahead.
We share a common vision—returning home to serve our country. I still remember my own decision to come back from Europe to Bangladesh for the same reason: my country and my family. It takes courage to make that choice. My professor’s words still echo in my mind: “We don’t need you here; Bangladesh needs you.”
I am confident our paths will cross again, and I look forward to that day. Please don’t forget to invite me to your next event in Nepal!
Wishing you and your family the very best as you begin this exciting new chapter back home.
Warm regards,
Tanveer Ahsan
Dear Dr. Roshan,
Warm greetings from ITN-BUET!
We extend our heartfelt thanks for your remarkable leadership and partnership over the years. Your vision and dedication have been truly transformative for Bangladesh’s sanitation sector, and we feel privileged to have worked closely with you in advancing the CWIS-FSM agenda.
I sincerely thank you for your trust and collaboration throughout this journey. Your guidance has left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire our work. As you begin this new chapter, we wish you good health, happiness, and quality time with your family. Though we will miss your regular support, I am rejuvenated to know that now you will be geographically closer to us and people at ITN-BUET will always value your mentorship and friendship.
With warm regards,
Alauddin,
ITN-BUET
Dear Dr. Roshan,
Thank you for sharing your 13 years journey in WASH. It touched me. Although I have had a very brief time with you, what moved me is your vision and heartfelt dedication in transforming the WASH scenario in countries like Bangladesh. And I feel that you have a soft corner for Bangladesh and there is no way of denying your contribution in today’s WASH sector. It’s a pity for me that we won’t get you on our journey any more but I believe that your work will inspire us to move forward.
I appreciate your future plan and wish you all the best.
Looking forward to meeting you in the upcoming IWA Congress in December.
Wishing you a healthy, happy life ahead.
Rowshan,
ITN-BUET