The Daily Morning Sun Online //

World Bank President Ajay Banga met with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The meeting took place on Tuesday morning in New York on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session. Discussions covered topics such as Bangladesh’s economic situation, increasing World Bank cooperation on various projects, and the energy crisis.

Following the meeting, Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury stated that the discussion focused on the existing partnership and relationship between Bangladesh and the World Bank. Specifically, they discussed how to align Bangladesh’s upcoming projects with the World Bank’s partnership framework. The discussion highlighted that social programs initiated by the Prime Minister—such as the ‘Family Card’ and ‘Farmer Card’—have been appreciated by the World Bank, and the Bank has pledged its support for them. Regarding young entrepreneurship programs—specifically the initiatives already rolled out involving a 50% grant and 50% concessional loan—discussions were held on how to scale up these efforts in collaboration with the World Bank. Both parties agreed to work together on young entrepreneurship development and youth employment.

The Finance Minister also mentioned discussions regarding overcoming domestic challenges, specifically the oil and gas crisis, and the role the World Bank could play in this regard. The World Bank has expressed willingness to step in and assist. Discussions focused on ensuring the continuity of adopted projects and preventing disruptions in the supply chain; an agreement was reached to work together to move these initiatives forward.

When asked about the World Bank’s perspective on sustainable projects, the Finance Minister replied, “The World Bank is viewing them with great attention. As I mentioned, we have agreed to scale up the projects rolled out for employment generation through young entrepreneurship development.” Finance Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury and Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir, the Prime Minister’s Advisor on Finance and Planning, among others, were present during this meeting.

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