France committed to supporting Bangladesh: envoy

French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marin Schuh and Project Officer-in-charge of the water and sanitation sector of the Agence Française de Développement (AFD) in Dhaka Fanny Nesen have visited the Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority (WASA) headquarters.

The recent visit served as an opportunity to renew the French government's commitments toward the Government of Bangladesh, French Embassy in Dhaka said today.

By providing financial and technical support to WASA, France is supporting the preservation of Dhaka's water resources in providing accessible, sustainable and reliable water services for all.

As part of his visit to the site, the envoy visited Saidabad 1 and 2 water treatment plants, constructed by the French company Degremont (Suez).

He also visited the site of Saidabad 3 water treatment plant being financed by AFD, along with KfW, Danida and the European Investment Bank. 

Jean-Marin Schuh said these projects are the results of the continuous presence of France in the water sector in Bangladesh, completing an ambitious process started with the visit of President Mitterrand in 1991 and his commitment to contribute to the major works aimed at domesticating the floods which ravaged the country.

The project is in line with the Government of Bangladesh's decision to replace the extraction of groundwater with the treatment of surface water, in order to meet the city's growing demand for water.

For this reason, the Saidabad treatment plant, like the Gandharbpur treatment plant also financed by AFD, will use water from the Meghna River.