World Bank provides $500m in loans for Bangladesh roadwork in western districts

The World Bank has approved $500 million to help Bangladesh improve road connectivity along the Jashore-Jhenaidah corridor covering four western districts.

The project is the first part of a multi-phased $1.4 billion World Bank programme to upgrade the existing 110 km two-lane road to a four-lane highway in western Bangladesh, the WB said in a statement on Wednesday.

It will support the government’s plan of developing a 260 km economic corridor in the western part and benefit over 20 million people.

The first phase of the programme will upgrade 48 km of the highway between Jashore and Jhenaidah and improve about 600 km connecting rural roads and 32 rural markets to stimulate the local economy.

To improve road safety, the highway will have additional lanes for slow-moving vehicles and a median safety barrier to separate oncoming traffic.

 “The western region of Bangladesh is endowed with many agricultural and natural produce and holds great potential of becoming a gateway for regional and international trade,” said Mercy Tembon, the World Bank’s country director for Bangladesh.

“This project will unlock the region’s potential by stimulating the economy of districts, linking farms to markets, connecting Dhaka with the western region as well as with neighbouring countries, thus enhancing trade, transit and logistics along the corridor.”

To help the country realise the ‘Digital Bangladesh’ vision, the project will install fibre optic cables along the highway to provide internet access, which will be critical for emergency responses and business continuities in crises similar to the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Bank said.

“The COVID 19 pandemic has hit the poor hard with loss of jobs and income. To help them recover from the shock, the project will provide immediate social protection and livelihoods to the vulnerable rural people by engaging them in labour-intensive civil works. Even in the post COVID period, the project will create jobs for the local communities through civil works for the national highway and connecting rural roads and markets,” said Rajesh Rohatgi, a senior transport specialist at the World Bank.

 “It will also support the country’s two key transport agencies — Roads and Highway Division and Local Government Engineering Department — to enhance emergency preparedness for any future pandemic or crisis.”

The project will also enhance the agriculture supply chain efficiency in the western region by ensuring that produce is transported to markets in less time and at a lower cost. In Khulna Division, where about 57 percent of the population’s income is generated from agricultural production, the project will improve storage facilities along the corridor which will help farmers reduce waste, increase sales and earn more.

The credit from the World Bank’s International Development Association, which provides concessional financing, has a 34-year term, including a four-year grace period. With this financing, the World Bank’s total commitment in fiscal 2019-20 stands at $2.27 billion.