World Bank president’s visit to smooth out strained Bangladesh relations over Padma Bridge

The World Bank president Jim Yong Kim is arriving in Dhaka on Sunday to observe the ‘International Day on Poverty Alleviation’ but the visit is seen as smoothing out Bangladesh’s strain relations with global lender over Padma Bridge financing.

The World Bank chief is also expected to deliver a ‘public lecture’ on poverty alleviation in Dhaka.

WB officials say they are hopeful that after Kim's visit the 'untoward episode' over the Padma Bridge project would permanently disappear from the path of partnership between Bangladesh and WB.

Speaking to bdnews24.com on the sidelines of the Washington meeting, WB Resident Representative for India, Junaid Kamal Ahmad said he hopes the visit will boost Bangladesh's initiative to make the global lender one of its key development partners.

Bangladeshi national, Junaid, had served as the chief of staff to the WB president prior to his Indian assignment.

"He is a man with a very positive mind. An optimistic person," Junaid described Kim.

Asked on Kim's evaluation on Bangladesh, the WB official said "He has a positive approach since appointed as the chief five years ago.”

"He has been closely observing Bangladesh and is now visiting to see for it himself."

Junaid said that the World Bank wants to set aside the misgivings that arose out of Padma Bridge project and wants to strike a new beginning.

Despite initial investment initiative the World Bank pulled out of the Padma Bridge project citing corruption as a deterrent. Bangladesh later decided to finance the project from its own funding. The whole episode strains the relationship between Bangladesh and the international lending agency.

However, Junaid hinted at thawing the bitterness and said that Bangladesh would work to make the international agency a partner in the country's development.

The World Bank had provided the highest subsidy in many years to Bangladesh, Junaid said.

Expressing confidence about positive outcome of the visit, Junaid said that Yong has been silently tracking Bangladesh's struggle against poverty for the last five years.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith says Kim's visit to Bangladesh will be great recognition for its achievements in poverty alleviation.

WB Resident Representative for India, Junaid Kamal Ahmad (centre), pose for a group photo with Bangladeshi journalists in Washington during WB-IMF annual meetings.

He is fifth WB president to visit Bangladesh.

The last time a World Bank (WB) chief visited Dhaka was in 2007 when Robert Zoellick was the head of the global lender.

Immediately after Bangladesh's independence from Pakistan, the then World Bank chief Robert McNamara visited Bangladesh.

Former World Bank chiefs Paul Wolfowitz and James Wolfensohn also came to Bangladesh during their respective tenures.

Kim is starting for Dhaka after attending the annual conference of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) held in Washington. Finance Minister Muhith led the Bangladesh delegation at the WB-IMF meet.

During his visit the WB president will participate in the World Poverty Elimination day celebration and also give a public lecture.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith is considering this tour as a recognition of Bangladesh's success in its fight against poverty.

According to World Bank the absolute Poverty level has come down to 12.9% of its total population for the 2015-16 fiscal, lower than 18% during the 2009-10 fiscal.

The UN Sustainable Development Goal envisions this rate to be brought down to between zero and 3%.

Finance Minister Muhith said that the visit of the WB president was the right opportunity to showcase Bangladesh's success in the fight against poverty so far.

Among other engagements Kim will participate in a public discussion on poverty elimination in the country on Tuesday. The prime minister will be present at the meeting.

He will then speak at a panel discussion titled, "End global poverty by 2030, the Bangladesh experience.'

On the same day he will head for Barisal to inspect a few world Bank financed projects there.