WB to continue support for interim govt’s key reforms

Outgoing World Bank Country Director to Bangladesh Abdoulaye Seck has promised the World Bank's support for key reform initiatives that the Bangladesh interim government has undertaken.

Seck made the pledge when he paid a farewell call on Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna, Dhaka, on Monday.

Yunus thanked Seck, who is retiring in January, for support during his tenure at World Bank-supported projects in critical sectors like infrastructure, climate resilience, service process digitalisation, education, healthcare and poverty alleviation, reports BSS.

Seck told the Chief Adviser that on December 19, the World Bank approved nearly US$ 1.2 billion in three financings to help Bangladesh build climate resilience and environmental sustainability while improving health, nutrition, and water and sanitation services in Chattogram city. 

Yunus wished Seck and his family good health on his retirement.

On Sunday, the Economic Relations Division (ERD) and the World Bank signed two financings totaling US$ 900 million.

One of the projects will develop secondary cities by constructing climate-resilient and gender-responsive infrastructure along the economic corridor from Cox's Bazar in the south to Panchagarh in the north.

The other financing, a US$ 500 million development policy credit to support green growth, will be disbursed to the national treasury by this month.

The World Bank’s development portfolio stands at about US$ 45 billion since 1972, which has made a significant contribution to the development trajectory of Bangladesh, particularly in reducing poverty, ensuring sustained economic growth, and improving education, health, and disaster management.

Special Envoy to Chief Adviser Lutfey Siddiqi, senior secretary for SDG affairs Lamiya Morshed and ERD secretary Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky were, among others, present.