Bangladesh, Germany ink deal worth €44.93M to facilitate development

Bangladesh and Germany signed a bilateral agreement on development cooperation with a grant of €44.93 million to implement four projects.

Sharifa Khan, secretary at the Economic Relations Division (ERD) under the Ministry of Finance and Dr Andreas Kuck, Country Director of GIZ Dhaka office and Michael Sumser, Country Director of KfW Regional Office in Bangladesh signed the 'Grant Agreements' on behalf of the respective countries, reads a press release.

The projects include Climate Change Adapted Urban Development (CCAUD) Programme Phase- III, Policy Advisory for Promoting Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (PAP), Energy Efficiency and Grid Integration of Renewable Energy II ((EEGIRE II) and Higher Education and Leadership Development for Sustainable Textiles in Bangladesh (HELD).

According to a press release, €33.50 million would be provided to the CCAUD project to be implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department and the Local Government Division to identify the short, medium and long term climate risks in Gaibandha sadar, Islampur and Sirajganj.

The project also aims to improve the living conditions of climate change and flood affected urban populations in the selected areas.

It will work to enhance the resilience of the target group against the adverse impacts of climate change by establishing a comprehensive drainage network, canal excavation, flood resilient infrastructure etc, the press release mentioned.

Another €5 million would be provided to the PAP project to be implemented by the Power Division and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources. The project aims to improve the technical foundations for further expansion of grid-connected renewable energy, the press release said.

Moreover, the EEGIRE II project would get €3.43 million under the Power Division and the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Sustainable and Renewable Energy Development Authority (SREDA), Power Grid Company of Bangladesh Ltd (PGCB) and Bangladesh Energy Regulatory Commission (BERC).

This is the second phase of the project which aims to improve the technical foundations for further expansion of grid-connected renewable energy.

Under the agreement, €3 million would be given for the HELD project to be implemented by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) to strengthen the application-oriented competencies of future specialists and managers in the textile sector.

The signing ceremony was attended by high officials from the German Embassy in Dhaka, the German Development Bank KfW and the German technical cooperation agencies GIZ and BGR, as well as from the Government of Bangladesh.