The World Bank has approved a USD 1.2 billion concessional IDA credit to Bangladesh for the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project in order to improve connectivity and boost opportunities for people in the southwest Bangladesh.
Spanning the Padma River, the world’s third largest 6.1 km long bridge will connect nearly 30 million people in the Southwest region to the rest of the country, enhancing their access to markets and services while accelerating growth as a whole.
The bridge, the largest IDA credit ever, will reduce distances to capital Dhaka by about 100 km while cutting travel times in half from most areas of Southwest Bangladesh.
Given its size, complexity and expected impact on local communities, the bridge includes state of the art safeguards and accountability features. Transparency has been emphasized throughout every step of its preparation and design.
“We’ve been working closely with the Government of Bangladesh on a `Governance and Accountability Action Plan’ that ensures strict supervision to prevent fraud or corruption, and guarantees quality and transparency,” said Isabel Guerrero, World Bank South Asia Vice President.
Spanning the Padma River, the world’s third largest 6.1 km long bridge will connect nearly 30 million people in the Southwest region to the rest of the country, enhancing their access to markets and services while accelerating growth as a whole.
The bridge, the largest IDA credit ever, will reduce distances to capital Dhaka by about 100 km while cutting travel times in half from most areas of Southwest Bangladesh.
Given its size, complexity and expected impact on local communities, the bridge includes state of the art safeguards and accountability features. Transparency has been emphasized throughout every step of its preparation and design.
“We’ve been working closely with the Government of Bangladesh on a `Governance and Accountability Action Plan’ that ensures strict supervision to prevent fraud or corruption, and guarantees quality and transparency,” said Isabel Guerrero, World Bank South Asia Vice President.