Asian Development Bank awards three best performing projects in Bangladesh

Asian Development Bank or ADB has awarded three of its best performing project teams in Bangladesh as part of its "efforts to promote efficient project implementation."

"The project teams were selected for results delivery, efficiency, effective project implementation, efforts to empower women, transparency, and other criteria,” said ADB Deputy Country Director Cai Li while presenting the awards at a ceremony in Dhaka on Sunday.

The winning project teams are Participatory Small-Scale Water Resources Sector Project, executed by the Local Government Engineering Department; SASEC Railway Connectivity Akhaura-Laksam Double Track Project implemented by the Bangladesh Railway; and, Power System Efficiency Improvement Project, Part A - Construction of Ashuganj 450 Megawatt Power Plant, executed by Ashuganj Power Station Company Ltd. 

The best project team recognition programme was initiated in 2001 and has been a regular annual exercise by the ADB to promote development effectiveness of ADB-assisted projects in Bangladesh.

Participatory Small-Scale Water Resources Sector Project (with $55 million ADB financing) is developing community-based infrastructure with the participation of stakeholders including farmers, fishermen, landless people and women, said a press release.

The SASEC project (with $505 million ADB financing) is helping to upgrade the 72-kilometre Akhaura–Laksam section of the Dhaka–Chittagong railway corridor to a double track dual-gauge rail line, along with modern signalling equipment.

This project will help reduce transport costs, improve logistics of strategic corridors such as Dhaka–Chittagong link, for domestic and sub-regional trade and enhance inclusiveness of railway services by introducing infrastructures friendly to the elderly, women, children, and the disabled.

The third project ( with $500 million ADB financing) is helping to construct a 450 megawatt combined cycle new power plant in Ashuganj, which will produce 80% more power by using the same amount of energy as before, thus contributing to environmental sustainability.