The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is to help Bangladesh rollout planned transport projects to accelerate growth and stimulate economic activity across South Asia and beyond.

The ADB Board of Directors already approved a technical assistance of $23 million for the Subregional Transport Project Preparatory Facility, which will be used to hasten the passage of road and rail projects earmarked as priorities for the development of regional transport projects.

The government of Bangladesh will provide an additional $4.59 million for a total project cost of almost $28 million. The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) and Bangladesh Railway (BR) will be the executing agencies for the project, which is due for completion in June 2013.

Newly appointed Country Director of ADB’s Bangladesh Resident Mission Teresa Kho will meet Railways Minister Suranjit Sengupta at the latter’s Secretariat office today to discuss the issue, according to the ministry. 

The Daily Sun/Bangladesh/ 8th March 2012