$150m ADB loan for developing Dhaka, Khulna regions

FT ONLINE

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government of Bangladesh on Tuesday signed an agreement for $150 million in loans to finance crucial infrastructures such as roads and drains and build capacity in two densely-populated and fast-growing city regions of Dhaka and Khulna in Bangladesh.

Monowar Ahmed, Secretary, Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Manmohan Parkash, Country Director, ADB, signed the agreement on behalf of Bangladesh and ADB, respectively, at a ceremony in Dhaka, said a press release.

The Second City Region Development Project builds on a similar project which was completed in 2018, according to ADB.

The project will bolster growth, improve living standards, and improve mobility, flood resilience, and solid waste management in Dhaka and Khulna city-regions; said ADB Country Director Manmohan Parkash.

He said by improving institutional capacity and community awareness, the project will strengthen municipal governance, institutional coordination, and sustainable service delivery.

“It’ll also support preparation and implementation of comprehensive frameworks for the integration of urban development with south-west economic corridor (SWEC) development, and thereby contribute to establishing the SWEC as a major economic corridor in South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation,” Parkash added.

The project will support the rehabilitation of 300 km of urban roads in the Dhaka city region and 30 km of drains around Dhaka and 120 km around Khulna.

It will also fund the preparation of an integrated solid waste management plan, including the construction of a composting plant for Khulna.

To strengthen capacity, the project will help identify priority investments, prepare or update various plans, and provide training in pourashavas and city corporations in integrated urban planning, sustainable service delivery, and operation and maintenance of urban infrastructure, ADB said.

To reduce startup delays for future projects, support for the preparation of detailed engineering designs for investments involving the latest technologies and smart applications will be provided, it said.

This will include integrated real-time data platforms and sensors, advanced building materials, and geotechnical engineering.

The project will also conduct community awareness campaigns covering at least 200,000 people, including at least 100,000 women on reducing, reusing, and recycling solid waste.