A number of Asian Development Bank (ADB) high-ups, including its president, vice presidents, chief economist and some directors, will visit Dhaka this year to reassure their development assistance to the country.
ADB President Takehiko Nakao will likely to visit early May, followed by visits of Vice-President for Operations-1 Shixin Chen, and ADB chief economist Yasuyuki Sawada and a number of directors in later months, a source of Manila-based ADB told The Financial Express.
They will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal, Planning Minister Abdul Mannan and government high officials during the visits, the source said.
The ADB high-ups will explore new opportunities of investment and businesses with the present government.
The source said a number of projects in energy sector, second tranche of Chattogram-Cox's Bazar railway, Eastern part of Bangladesh-India Grid Interconnection, a project on rural road maintenance will be approved during ADB president's visit.
A loan agreement for South Asia trade facilitation will likely be discussed during the visit, source said.
The President and Vice President will likely visit Rohiynga camps in Cox's Bazar to see the plight of refugees from Arakan.
Last year in July, ADB Board of Directors has approved grant assistance of $100 million-the first of an envisaged package totaling $200 million to help the Government of Bangladesh develop basic infrastructure and services for uprooted Rohiyngas.
The $100 million grant project is to support the displaced people sheltered in camps in the Ukhia and Teknaf subdistricts of Cox's Bazar focusing on water supply and sanitation, disaster risk management, energy, and roads.
The project is rehabilitating roads within the camps to connect essential food distribution and storage centers, hospitals, education facilities, and provide emergency access. It will also resurface the road from Cox's Bazar to Teknaf and other critical sections.
The ADB president will visit Cox's Bazar to see the implementation progress of the projects.
On Thursday (January 31), ADB President Takehiko Nakao congratulated Sheikh Hasina on her re-election as the Prime Minister of Bangladesh for the fourth term.
ADB Country Director Manmohan Prakash handed over a congratulatory letter of the ADB president to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office.
In the letter, ADB chief reiterated their commitment to continue ADB's strong support to Bangladesh for its economic development, particularly its efforts for poverty alleviation, socioeconomic development and nation-building activities.
bdsmile@gmail.com