WB's new country director for Bangladesh

Qimiao Fan

The World Bank has appointed Qimiao Fan as the new country director for Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal. The Chinese national will take office today.

In his first visit to Bangladesh today, Fan will be accompanied by Annette Dixon, the WB's vice president for South Asia, who will introduce Fan to the government.

Dixon and Fan will also meet Finance Minister AMA Muhith and other senior government officials, the WB said in a statement yesterday.

Fan will oversee the finalisation and implementation of the WB's Country Partnership Framework for Bangladesh, which is now the largest recipient of support from the International Development Association, the WB's fund for the poorest countries.

Fan brings a wide range of development experiences to the job. He joined the WB in 1991 and held leadership positions in different countries.

Prior to his current assignment, Fan served the WB as the country director for Belarus, Moldova and Ukraine. From 1998 to 2002, he took leave from the WB to work in the private sector in senior executive positions in China.

After returning to the WB, Fan worked as a programme leader for the Investment Climate Programme in the World Bank Institute and later as country manager for Cambodia.

“Bangladesh has made significant gains in development in recent years. I am looking forward to working closely with the government and people of Bangladesh in realising their goal of achieving middle-income status by 2021,” said Fan.

He holds a PhD in economics from the University of Birmingham, England. He has published widely on topics related to investment climate and problems of economies in transition.

The WB's current IDA portfolio in Bangladesh stands at nearly $8.7 billion with 36 active projects. Since Bangladesh's independence, the WB has been the country's largest development partner in terms of financing volume.