Message from the Acting Country Director: Dear Friends,
During the past month the political situation has created many challenges for those living and working in Bangladesh. I sincerely hope that the country finds a way of peacefully resolving the present difficulties, and of holding free and fair elections. Bangladesh has made significant economic and social progress during the past decade, gains that have been translated into better lives for millions of Bangladeshis. A dysfunctional political system makes it much more difficult for the country to build on these achievements. Despite the current difficulties it is important not to lose sight of the longer term development goals. In this newsletter we highlight projects where the poor themselves have been able to shape their own futures, be it through the Social Investment Program Project, where village committees decide on development projects, or through increased access to microcredit financing. I would also like to draw your attention to the article on the preparation of the World Bank's new Governance and Anticorruption Strategy. Good governance ensures that World Bank support, and that of other donor partners, is used more efficiently and more effectively and only for the intended program objectives as agreed and recorded in the legal agreements. We have already held several consultation meetings in Dhaka about the strategy in order to gauge opinions, but I would very much like to hear more from you. Below is a link to a World Bank website where you can read about the strategy and directly type in your views on how the World Bank can better help Bangladesh and other developing countries improve governance and fight corruption. Alternatively you can email me at the usual address, wbdhakanews@worldbank.org with your views or any other feedback you may have.
Best wishes,
Mohamed Alhousseyni Toure
Acting Country Director Governance and Anticorruption Strategy | Participate in the global consultation Highlights 1. Community led development empowering the poor
2. 10 years of World Bank support to microcredit in Bangladesh
3. Monitoring and improving urban air quality
4. Bangladesh - India trade relations
5. World Bank seeks your views on Governance and Anticorruption strategy More from the World Bank 6. World Bank Bangladesh Country Assistance Strategy
7 World Bank Supported Projects in Bangladesh
8. Reports and Analysis on Bangladesh from the World Bank
9. Global Reading from the World Bank (Please visit us at http://www.worldbank.org.bd to download these and other documents)
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1.Community led development empowering the poor Community Driven Development has transformed the lives of about two million people in the poverty prone Northern region of Bangladesh, with villagers planning and implementing their own development priorities. Under the Social Investment Program Project (SIPP), a Government led initiative backed by the World Bank, villagers form development committees to discuss and decide upon projects that benefit the poor. These often include small scale infrastructure projects such as the repair of culverts and irrigation systems or the building of small bridges and roads. The supply of piped water is another common priority. Funding for these works goes directly to the community which itself contributes about 15 per cent of the costs. Oversight and accountability is ensured through village institutions, namely village development committees.
SIPP was started in 2003 and at the request of the Government of Bangladesh, the World Bank is now planning to scale up the project so as to reach other poor districts in Bangladesh. Greater emphasis will be placed on improving the livelihood of the very poor, especially women and youth, by providing them with the skills and resources they need to generate and secure their own incomes. more>>
Read the story in Bangla | Social Investment Program Project documents ======================================================================= 2. 10 years of World Bank support to microcredit in Bangladesh
Since 1996, the World Bank has reached more than 6 million poor people in Bangladesh through microfinance projects totaling US$260 million, with 90 per cent of borrowers women. Microcredit borrowers have used the funds to start up small grocery shops, set up trading activities, rear cattle and poultry, farm fish, and start up businesses such as tailoring, rickshaw pulling and paddy husking.
The widespread use of microcredit is one of the reasons why many social indicators relating to health and education are improving in Bangladesh. The impact of microcredit continues to grow as borrowers increase their loan amounts and new borrowers take microcredits for the first time.
During the past decade the World Bank has been active in providing funds for mircocredit and in enhancing the capabilities and financial sustainability of key institutions such as the Palli Karma-Sahayak Foundation (PKSF) and its partner organizations. PKSF is an autonomous government body that provides funds to microcredit institutions. The World Bank has also supported the extension of microcredits to the poorest of the poor, such as beggars, sex workers and household helps, who often do not qualify for mainstream microcredit programs.more>> ======================================================================== 3. Monitoring and improving urban air quality Air pollution is a serious problem in Bangladesh, especially in Dhaka, where it is estimated to cause 15,000 premature deaths and several million cases of illness every year. As part of efforts to tackle the problem the Government of Bangladesh launched the Air Quality Management Project (AQMP) in 2000. The project has two main components, strengthening air quality monitoring and addressing vehicular emissions. Supported by the World Bank, this initiative, which was to be completed in December 2006, will now continue till December 2007, after a third one-year extension. AQMP has provided the basic infrastructure for continuous monitoring of air quality in Dhaka and a new continuous monitoring station was set up in Chittagong in October. Three more air monitoring stations will be set up in Khulna, Rajshahi and a hotspot site in Dhaka. AQMP also contributed to the phase-out of 2-stroke three-wheelers from Dhaka, a move that led to a significant reduction in air pollution. However, the growing number of polluting commercial diesel vehicles has eroded some of these gains. The Government recently requested World Bank support for the AQMP II initiative, which is likely to come into effect after the extended period expires in December 2007. AQMP II will focus on formulating policies and actions to deal with emissions from commercial diesel vehicles. It will also help set up an institutional structure within the Department of Environment to carry out air quality management. more>> Read the story in Bangla | Air Quality Management Project documents ======================================================================= 4. Bangladesh - India trade relations India and Bangladesh have long shared common objectives for closer economic integration within the South Asia region and bilateral trade between the two countries has been growing rapidly since the early 1990s. Both countries are interested in developing a closer trading relationship and a free trade agreement (FTA) has been under consideration for some time. A new World Bank report, “India-Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential Free Trade Agreement” seeks to explore the implications of a potential bilateral free trade agreement. Although the report points at possible advantages, it concludes that, based on potential economic benefits to both countries, there is no compelling case for India and Bangladesh to pursue a bilateral FTA. Rather a broader-based liberalization would be preferable since this would yield much larger economic benefits.
According to the study, a bilateral free trade agreement would provide substantial benefits to Bangladeshi consumers by giving them access to cheaper exports from India. These consumer benefits would far outweigh losses in government revenue or lost profits for local producers. Yet the study argues that such benefits could easily be wiped out if it is not ensured that incentive systems give the right signals. By keeping out cheaper third-country imports, the FTA risks providing a captive, protected market where Indian producers might collude amongst themselves or with Bangladeshi importers to artificially increase prices. On the other hand cheaper goods from, say East Asia, might be excluded, forcing Bangladeshi consumers and businesses to overpay. more>> Read the story in Bangla ========================================================================= 5. World Bank seeks your views on Governance and Anticorruption strategy The critical importance of improving governance and fighting corruption in order to ensure successful development has come to the center of the World Bank’s work in recent years. In September 2006, the Development Committee -- the World Bank’s policy-setting board -- discussed a paper which articulates the World Bank Group’s new strategy for strengthening its engagement on governance and anti-corruption. The Committee provided guidance on the development and implementation of the strategy, and this work includes further consultation with external partners and stakeholders.
Over the next couple of months, the World Bank will consult with representatives from government, donors, civil society, private sector, academia and other stakeholders and seek feedback on the approach laid out in the strategy paper, eliciting ideas, best practices and lessons learned. This process has already begun in Bangladesh with a series of meetings being held. In addition to face-to-face discussions, the World Bank is also looking for written feedback. The findings of the consultation process will help the World Bank to refine the strategy, which will be sent to the World Bank’s Board for endorsement in the first quarter of 2007.
At its heart, the World Bank’s approach is about broader engagement with those groups that are already on the front lines of improving governance and fighting corruption. We strongly encourage you to share your written feedback by sending your comments to governancefeedback@worldbank.org or by typing in your views directly on our governance website.
Governance and Anticorruption Strategy | Participate in the global consultation =========================================================================
More from the World Bank
5. World Bank Bangladesh Country Assistance Strategy
The World Bank’s Country Assistance Strategy will guide the Bank’s operations in Bangladesh during the period 2006-2009. It is strongly focused on governance and is aligned with Bangladesh’s Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP). The strategies’ two pillars, improving the investment climate and empowering the poor, reflect the focus of the World Bank’s programs across sectors. These programs will address sector governance issues in both pillars, as well as ‘core’ governance, such as public procurement, public financial management, and judiciary reform. This mainstreaming of governance implies that all Bank Group interventions will be as much about improving governance as they will be about improving sector performance. Download the entire CAS | Summary in English | Summary in Bangla
================================================================== 7. World Bank supported Projects and Programs in Bangladesh
The World Bank supports 27 ongoing government projects in Bangladesh and is active in a wide range of sectors including health, education, transport, water and sanitation, agriculture, local government and financial sector reform, as well as public procurement and financial management reform. Detailed description of active projects | Brief description of active projects
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7. Reports and Analysis from the World Bank
The aim of the Bangladesh Development Series (BDS) is to distribute the World Bank's country analytical work on Bangladesh. BDS is a valuable source of information for strengthening policy dialogue and developing and implementing country strategies.
Please click on the following titles to download these Bangladesh Development Series reports:
Economics and Governance of NGOs in Bangladesh ; Summary: English | Bangla Bangladesh Country Assistance Strategy 2006-2009 ; Summary:English | Bangla Social Safety Nets in Bangladesh: An Assessment Bangladesh Integrated Nutrition Project, Effectiveness and Lessons Learned Revitalizing the Agricultural Technology System in Bangladesh ; Summary: English | Bangla Targeting Resources for the Poor in Bangladesh ; Summary: English | Bangla Comparative Advantages of Health Care Provision ; Summary: English | Bangla Bangladesh Water Country Assistance Strategy ; Summary: English | Bangla End of MFA Quotas: Key Issues and Strategic Options for Bangladesh Ready Made Garment Industry ; Summary: English Bangladesh PRSP Forum Economic Update - Recent Developments and Future Perspectives Forthcoming Publications India - Bangladesh Trade, Trade Policies and Potential Free Trade Agreement
Bangladesh Country Environmental Analysis
An Evaluation of Recent Health Decentralization Initiatives in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Strategy for Growth and Employment
Bangladesh: Vocational Education and Training ==================================================================
8. Global reading from the World Bank The World Bank is also a "Knowledge Bank", each year producing a steady flow of publications and research. Over 15,000 documents and publications are available free of cost on our website.
Search and download global World Bank publications Recent highlights Global Economic Prospects 2007: Managing the Next Wave of Globalization ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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