ADB official due today to review aided projects
Sunday, 19 August 2007
FE Report
A high official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will arrive in Dhaka today (Sunday) on a three-day visit to review the Bank-funded projects and explore ways of extending further cooperation to Bangladesh.
The official, Ashok Lahiri, who is an Executive Director (ED) and also a member of the Board of Directors of the Manila-based multilateral agency, will meet Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, Communications Adviser Abdul Matin and Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan during his visit, official sources said.
During the meetings, the government is likely to urge the ADB official to provide more concessional rather than hard term loans, budgetary support credit and to extend its support for post-flood rehabilitation, Padma bridge construction and power generation, the official sources said.
Sources in the ADB said that Lahiri, who has been appointed as ED recently for looking after ADB's activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, will visit Dhaka primarily to know about the country and its development activities where the Bank could support in future days.
A senior ERD official told the FE that Lahiri would visit the Rural Power Company-operated power plant in Mymensingh and another ADB-supported "Urban Governance Infrastructure Improvement Project" in Gazipur on August 21 to evaluate aid effectiveness in Bangladesh.
The ERD official also said that the government might request Lahiri to support Dhaka for ensuring Bangladesh's representation in the Board of Directors of ADB.
"Since an extensive damage of infrastructure across the country has been caused by the recent flood, the government may request the ADB's policy-maker to extend support for the post-rehabilitation works apart form extending fund for the Padma Bridge project and power sector development," he added.
The official further said as the project cost of the proposed Padma Bridge has escalated to over US$1.5 billion, the government will try to convince the ED to provide more than the commitment the ADB had made. The ADB has already assured Bangladesh to provide $350 million loan for constructing the country's largest bridge on the river Padma.
Ashok Lahiri will leave Bangladesh on August 22.
A high official of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) will arrive in Dhaka today (Sunday) on a three-day visit to review the Bank-funded projects and explore ways of extending further cooperation to Bangladesh.
The official, Ashok Lahiri, who is an Executive Director (ED) and also a member of the Board of Directors of the Manila-based multilateral agency, will meet Finance Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam, Communications Adviser Abdul Matin and Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary Aminul Islam Bhuiyan during his visit, official sources said.
During the meetings, the government is likely to urge the ADB official to provide more concessional rather than hard term loans, budgetary support credit and to extend its support for post-flood rehabilitation, Padma bridge construction and power generation, the official sources said.
Sources in the ADB said that Lahiri, who has been appointed as ED recently for looking after ADB's activities in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Lao People's Democratic Republic, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, will visit Dhaka primarily to know about the country and its development activities where the Bank could support in future days.
A senior ERD official told the FE that Lahiri would visit the Rural Power Company-operated power plant in Mymensingh and another ADB-supported "Urban Governance Infrastructure Improvement Project" in Gazipur on August 21 to evaluate aid effectiveness in Bangladesh.
The ERD official also said that the government might request Lahiri to support Dhaka for ensuring Bangladesh's representation in the Board of Directors of ADB.
"Since an extensive damage of infrastructure across the country has been caused by the recent flood, the government may request the ADB's policy-maker to extend support for the post-rehabilitation works apart form extending fund for the Padma Bridge project and power sector development," he added.
The official further said as the project cost of the proposed Padma Bridge has escalated to over US$1.5 billion, the government will try to convince the ED to provide more than the commitment the ADB had made. The ADB has already assured Bangladesh to provide $350 million loan for constructing the country's largest bridge on the river Padma.
Ashok Lahiri will leave Bangladesh on August 22.