Asian Development Bank

ADB to provide BD $23 Ml as fund to regional connectivity
UNB, Dhaka, 20 May : The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has pledged to provide $23 million to Bangladesh as a technical assistance loan for theproposed Sub-regional Transport Project Preparatory Facility.
The proposed technical assistance loan will provide the facility to prepare a series of regional cooperation and integration (RCI) transport projects in roads and railways.
The facility will focus on priority transport corridors identified in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Regional Multimodal Transport Study, said officials at the resident mission of ADB.
Transport corridors linking with the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) countries-such as the Asian Highway Network and the Trans-Asia Rail Network-will also be targeted.
The facility will cover 8 percent of Bangladesh's major roads and 12 percent of its railways. Development of these corridors would complete the sub-regional land transport network, which will stimulate both sub-regional trade and the Bangladesh economy.
The facility is projected to cost $27.59 million, including taxes and duties, physical and price contingencies, and interest and other charges during implementation. န File Photo