ADB to provide solar-wind power plants

Visiting ADB Vice President Xiaoyu Zhao calls on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office in the city yesterday.Photo: PID

Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide its newly innovated solar and wind run combined power plants to Bangladesh for the country's power generation.
The multinational lending agency will provide two units of their new generation power plants to Bangladesh, which will be set up in the country's remote areas to run in experimental basis.
This was stated by the visiting ADB Vice President Xiaoyu Zhao when he paid a call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her office yesterday morning.
Briefing newsmen after the meeting the PM's Press Secretary Abul Kalam Azad told journalists that ADB has also assured the premier about its committed fund for construction of the much-desired Padma Bridge.
During the meeting, they discussed various matters including ADB's support for the development of the country.
The PM told the ADB official that her government is committed to realise its vision of making a 'Digital Bangladesh" and to turn it into a middle income peaceful country by 2021, the golden jubilee year of the country's Independence.
Hasina said the Padma bridge is expected to bring new momentum to economic activities of the country's South and South-Western region and will open up new horizon for socio economic development of the natural calamity prone areas.
Referring to the proposed deep-sea port Hasina said Bangladesh will allow its neighbours including China and India to use the port, which will eventually bring benefit to whole region.
She said the present democratic government has attached due priority to establish rule of law and to promote good governance in the country.
Besides, she mentioned about another thrust area for the government to encourage Public Private Partnership (PPP) in implementing development efforts of the country.
The premier said policy, strategy and guidelines of PPP have already been published in the official gazette and new office for this will be established under the PM's Office shortly.
Hasina thanked the ADB for being a responsive and conscious development partner of Bangladesh since membership to ADB in 1973.
She requested ADB's assistance for the development of infrastructure power, transport, ports, river dredging and urban development for sustaining higher GDP growth rate.
Ambassador at-Large M Ziauddin, Principal Secretary to the PM M A Karim and Secretary to the PM's Office Molla Waheeduzzaman, among others, were present.