WB team lauds PKSF’s human development project in Savar, Dhamrai

Human capital development will play a key role in broad-based economic development of Bangladesh, said Nicole Klingen, the World Bank's South Asia regional director for human development, on Monday.

She was visiting field-level activities of the RAISE project run by the state-backed Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) in Savar and Dhamrai upazilas of Dhaka. The $250-million project has a duration of five years and is working to provide 1.75 lakh youths and micro-entrepreneurs with inclusive financial and capacity enhancement support.

Nicole Klingen said that the Washington-based development bank is investing a lot in health and education and on jobs and safety nets to make sure that people get the opportunities to contribute to economic development. As Bangladesh is striving to achieve higher levels of economic growth, "we are very proud and happy to be working with the government on this agenda," she added.

Nicole Klingen led a World Bank delegation to observe the activities of "Recovery and Advancement of Informal Sector Employment (RAISE)" project jointly funded by Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation and the multilateral lender. Society for Development Initiatives and Social Upliftment Society, two of the project partners of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation, are helping implement the project in the Savar and Dhamrai areas.

"I am super pleased with what I saw today," commented Klingen. The project really helps with regards to providing youth with opportunities to make more productive contribution to the economy and society in Bangladesh, she added.

She was accompanied by S Amer Ahmed, the project's task team leader at World Bank, Anika Rahman, co-task team leader, and Dilip Kumar Chakravorty, project coordinator of Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation.