The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is lending $175 million for sustainable energy development and building the capacity of local communities in the Chittagong Hill Tracts. A loan agreement for the purpose has been signed between the government of Bangladesh and the ADB.
It was signed on 7 October in the Pearl Room of the InterContinental hotel in Dhaka.
Md Shahriar Kader Siddiky, secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), signed for the government and Chingfeng Zhang, the ADB’s country director, for the bank.
Afroza Sultana, secretary (additional charge) of the Bangladesh Power Development Board (BPDB), signed the loan agreement on the board’s behalf.
Md A Basid, the board’s member (distribution), and other senior BPDB officials were present at the signing.
Given the geography of the Chittagong Hill Tracts, its hard-to-reach settlements and the need to extend energy services to remote areas, sustainable energy development is important for the region’s overall progress.
A reliable energy supply can help improve local people’s living standards, expand economic activity and support the running of various social services.
In that context the Sustainable Energy Development and Community Empowerment project is expected to help take forward the development of the energy sector in the Chittagong Hill Tracts and efforts to build the capacity of local communities.
Carrying out the project with the ADB’s loan will strengthen energy development work in the region and create opportunities for local people to take part and build their capacity.
The Asian Development Bank provides loans, grants and technical assistance for the economic and social development of countries in Asia and the Pacific. It has long provided finance and cooperation in various development sectors in Bangladesh.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report