Murteza Rafi Khan is the Director of AK KHAN Waterhealth Bangladesh – a Joint Venture with WaterHealth International Inc. (USA) & International Finance Corporation
(World Bank Group).
It is well-known fact that the availability of water will become a crisis in the next decade. WaterHealth is very active in overcoming this matter and making water available for all regions. What is your ultimate mission?
A K Khan WaterHealth was founded on the basis of providing access to safe water across Bangladesh. Our initial mission was to serve drinking water only at the household level. Since our establishment in 2011, we have broadened our scope to include commercial and industrial clients with solutions ranging from drinking water to waste water and sewage treatment. Our current mission is to be the service provider of choice when it comes to any type of water solutions across Bangladesh.
You have mentioned that you are covering a great many areas throughout the nation, what kind of services are you providing in those areas?
At present we are able to offer drinking water treatment plants, household water treatment plants, iron removal plants, reverse osmosis plants, sewage treatment plants, waste water treatment plants, recycle water plant, softener plant and effluent treatment plants (ETP). In addition, we are serving the Chittagong market with BSTI compliant 20 liters jar water brand Dr. Water.
We provide end to end service after understanding the needs of our client for any type of water solution. Our breadth of experience in both the types of plants we offer and our client base has enabled us to deliver plants from remote villages from Satkhira to commercial and residential projects in central Dhaka, industrial areas of Gazipur and beyond.
We also take pride in educating our clients about water solutions so they are better able to decide on the solution they require. As per our Annual Maintenance Contract, our central labs in Chittagong test the waters regularly; a service that is provided free of cost, the first year.
Safe drinking water is an essential commodity; what is your strategic decision in this case to expand the business?
For household level safe drinking water in urban areas, we intend to continue working with our clients who are real estate developers to ensure they have provisions for water treatment plants to be installed in their buildings. We have serviced reputed builders in both Chittagong and Dhaka and our experience indicates that it is the right time for centralized purification to be considered as the most reliable way to ensure household level safe water. In rural areas, we intend to work closely with NGO partners such as Friendship in Satkhira. We are also currently working with CODEC NGO in Kuakata to establish community drinking water plants. As our NGO partners have a presence in these areas they are better suited to promote the adoption of the water in these areas while we focus on the technical aspect of the solution. As Bangladesh faces a variety of raw water contaminations based on the hydro-geological characteristics of each area, we are able to adapt our solutions depending on the raw water chemistry.
As you are a customer-centric business, could you elaborate upon your equipment, lab testing, products and client services?
Our products are sourced from various parts of the globe depending on the client’s requirement. Some clients want quality, durable products which are often sourced from Europe or North America. For solutions on a budget, we are also able to source products from Asian countries. However, we usually insist on higher quality components for sensitive equipment such as reverse osmosis membranes, particularly when it comes to drinking water as it has a direct impact on health. Often our solutions are a combination of products sourced from various parts of the world, tailored to the needs of the client. In terms of after sales service, our technical team is on call and available for any troubleshooting. We offer 1 year of free routine maintenance and manufacturer warranty on our products. We are also able to provide spare parts and consumables as and when required. We also take pride in educating our clients about water solutions so they are better able to decide on the solution they require. As per our Annual Maintenance Contract, our central labs in Chittagong test the waters regularly; a service that is provided free of cost, the first year. The same sample is then tested in an independent lab for cross checking.
Are you interested in diversifying your bushiness to extend your reach?
Every year, our company has been able to provide new solutions in the market. We started with a focus on drinking water plants in residential buildings and rural communities. As we explored the broader market, we found the scope to operate in the commercial and industrial sector by providing solutions in wastewater for factories and sewage treatment in commercial buildings. Each project and product type presents its unique set of challenges from the space to the capacity and of course the raw water quality. We are now confident that we will be able to provide larger and more complicated plants in collaboration with our trusted vendors and partners. Our parent company A.K. Khan & Company Ltd has been active in the Bangladesh market since 1945. People have a trust in the A.K. Khan name. When it comes to water solutions, trust is critical as we are dealing with a necessity for human life. In very few sectors are the stakes this high.
