‘ADB to help upgrade 1800km highways’

Asian Development Bank (ADB) gave a positive response to a financial proposal to upgrade three highways from Takerhat via Kuakata, Sylhet-Tamabil and Sonapur-Jorarshahara in Bangladesh to four-lane ones, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, reports BSS.
Under the result-based landing (RBL) programme, he said, Economic Relations Division (ERD) would send a proposal soon to the ADB headquarters in this respect, the minister said emerging from a meeting with the bank's president Takehiko Nakao in Manila, according to an official press release received in the city on Friday.
Quader said an ADB feasibility study for upgrading 1800 kilometres of highway was now at the final stage and the meeting agreed to complete the work as soon as possible.
Highest-level transparency would be ensured in implementing all projects in Bangladesh's road transport sector, he added.
ADB vice president Wencai Zhang and regional deputy director DN Sharan were present at the meeting.
Later, the minister exchanged greetings with expatriate Bangladeshis working at ADB. Bangladesh Ambassador Major General (retd) John Gomez was present during the meeting.