DHAKA, April 27, 2011: World Bank Managing Director, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala today met with the Honorable Prime Minister Ms. Sheikh Hasina and other senior government officials, including the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture. She reaffirmed World Bank’s strong and expanding support to Bangladesh both for its growth towards being a middle income country, and in helping the government achieve greater transparency and accountability in implementation of projects.
“The Government of Bangladesh has made important commitments to its people to ensure the effective use of public money. Padma Bridge is a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate those commitments. People expect Padma bridge to be implemented with full transparency and zero corruption,” said Dr. Okonjo-Iweala.
“To have a good quality bridge, that transforms south west of the country over time, we must have very open procurement processes, accountability, robust monitoring and equitable treatment of people who are going to be resettled. We are encouraged with the commitments made by the Government in ensuring these steps at every stage. We at the World Bank will continue to provide our best knowledge and experience to support the implementation efforts.”
Dr. Okonjo-Iweala commended the Government for successfully guiding the economy to grow at over 6 percent despite global shocks and for the progress Bangladesh has achieved in human development indicators in past few years, especially in the area of girls education and cutting down maternal mortality rates. At the same she expressed concerns over the global food and fuel price increases and their likely impact on Bangladesh. "The World Bank stands ready to support the government in managing these challenge.” she added.
