JICA provides Tk 31.47b for two projects

The Bangladesh government has signed two loan agreements with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for the construction of the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (engineering service).

Under the agreements, JICA will provide a total of 39,902 million yen (equivalent to 31.47 billion Tk) for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction (III) and Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).

The signing ceremony took place at NEC-2 Conference Room, Economic Relations Division, in the city’s Agargaon yesterday.

Ichiguchi Tomohide, chief representative of the JICA Bangladesh office, and Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the economic relations division, signed the agreement on behalf of their respective sides.

Iwama Kiminori, Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, also attended the ceremony.

Of the loan, 38,206 million yen is allocated for the Jamuna Railway Bridge Construction Project (III) and 1,696 million yen for the Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project (Engineering Service).

The loan agreement signed for Jamuna Railway Bridge (III) is for the third tranche of the loan. The picturesque 4.8 km dedicated railway bridge runs over the Jamuna River parallel to the existing Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge.

The Bridge is expected to start its operation in early 2025 which will boost rail connectivity between the eastern and western zones of the country.

The Chattogram Sewerage System Development Project will focus on Catchment 2 and Catchment 4 (Kalurghat and East Bakalia) out of a total of six catchments. It’s the first phase of the project which will support the detailed design of the entire sewerage system.

The development of the sewerage system will contribute to several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by promoting public health, environmental sustainability, and economic growth in Chattogram.

During the signing ceremony, Ambassador IWAMA Kiminori emphasised the importance of this signing ceremony as a demonstration of Japan’s commitment to continuing existing projects and launching new initiatives to support Bangladesh’s future economic development. 

He noted that this Exchange of Notes reflects Japan’s steadfast partnership with Bangladesh, especially in supporting the interim government’s efforts to chart a pathway towards stable development during a period of political transition, and reaffirms Japan’s unwavering dedication to collaborating closely with the new government to sustain the country’s progress and address its development needs. 

This agreement marks the first Exchange of Notes (E/N) signed between Japan and the interim government, inaugurated on August 8, 2024.