WB VP due today

After the Padma Bridge financing debacle, a World Bank senior official arrives in Dhaka today (Friday) for the first time on a week-long visit seeking to rebuild the lender's relations with the government, officials said Thursday.

Officials of the World Bank (WB) Dhaka office said their Vice President (South Asia Region) Philippe Le Houérou will arrive Friday afternoon. He will leave the country on April 3 morning completing his meetings with high government officials and reviewing the Bank's activities here.

Officials said until Thursday evening, the Vice President did not get an appointment with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to make a courtesy call. "This is the first visit of a WB senior official from its Washington headquarters after four years since February 2010. In February 2010, his predecessor Ms. Isabel Guerrero visited Dhaka," a WB official told the FE.

It is Mr Le Houérou's first visit to Bangladesh since assuming his position in July 2013 from Ms Guerrero.

The relations between the government and the WB turned sour when the latter raised allegation of 'graft conspiracy' in the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge project and decided to cancel its funding worth US$1.2 billion.

The WB and the government officials said Mr Le Houérou is expected to meet Finance Minister AMA Muhith on April 1. He is, however, yet (till evening Thursday) to secure an appointment with the Prime Minster for a courtesy call, they said.

Mr Le Houérou is expected to meet Advisor to the Prime Minister Dr Gowher Rizvi during his stay in Dhaka.

The WB vice president would visit the sites of a few WB-funded projects in Chittagong and south-western districts on March 29-30, and would meet the civil society leaders and the donor representatives, working in Bangladesh.

Since 1972, the World Bank has committed more than $17 billion funds to support the Bangladesh government. The World Bank's current portfolio stands at $6.7 billion in 31 projects.