Support to Bangladesh to continue, says ADB
Lauding development activities in the past few years in Bangladesh, visiting ADB (Asian Development Bank) Vice President Liqun Jin yesterday said the bank's support to the country will continue in the coming days.
“In Bangladesh, infrastructure development is a priority area of ADB's assistance. We will continue to support energy and transport sectors to bolster investor confidence and expand opportunities for sub regional trade and investment,” Jin told a ceremony in Dhaka, marking the 25th anniversary of ADB's Bangladesh Resident Mission. Bangladesh joined ADB in 1973. ADB built its resident mission in the country 1982.
He also said, “Let us take this opportunity to look back with some satisfaction at the progress that has been reached and look ahead with renewed vigour to the work remains to be done.”
Advisers, political leaders, business leaders, representatives from multilateral development organisations, economists and bureaucrats were present at the function.
Jin also mentioned the GDP growth trended up to over 6 percent annually in the past five years compared with 4.8 percent in the 90s. The incidence of poverty declined from nearly 60 percent in the early 90s to 40 percent by 2005.
“If the current rate of poverty reduction continues, Bangladesh will achieve the first Millennium Development Goal (MDG) of reducing the incidence of extreme poverty by half by 2015,” the ADB vice president said, adding that the country is also on track to meet several other MDGs.
Speaking at the function, Finance and Planning Adviser Mirza Azizul Islam said corruption, political instability and inadequate infrastructure hold back Bangladesh to utilise its development potential.
Despite such problems Bangladesh managed to win supports of development partners.
Aziz also said so far Bangladesh received around $ 9 billion in financial supports from the ADB.
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