Bangladesh will seek major support from the World Bank for the power and energy sector in its meeting with the Washington-based multilateral donor agency next month. According to official sources, a delegation of the Power Ministry led by Prime Minister’s Advisor Dr Tawfiq-e-Elahi Chowdhury will attend the World Bank meeting on September 8-9 to discuss possible support for the sector.
Both the power and energy secretaries are supposed to accompany the PM’s advisor during the trip. Receiving an invitation from the donor agency, the PM’s advisor sat in an emergency meeting today (Thursday) with the power and energy ministry officials to line up agenda for the proposed Washington meeting.
Officials said the invitation from the World Bank gives an indication of a change in attitude of the donor agency. Because, they said, some funding commitments of the donor agency got stuck up following the withdrawal of fund from the Padma Bridge project.
Funding to the Bibiyana-1 and Bibyana-2 power plants was among the projects where the World Bank finally did not come despite their keen interest, said a senior official at the Power Division. “Definitely this an ice-breaking matter on the issue of funding from the World Bank as there was no such high level meeting with the leading donor agency in about last two years,” said an official at the Power Division preferring anonymity.
He said the Power and Energy Ministry will prepare a list of priority projects for World Bank funding in the next one week so that the PM’s advisor-led delegation can place specific agenda to seek World Bank support.
The official said support for different renewable energy and large scale power plants will be among the top priority projects for World Bank funding. – UNB
