Although the relation between the World Bank (WB) and Bangladesh has strained slightly due to Padma bridge scam, the government received US$ 222 million higher foreign assistance from the WB during July to May of FY 2012-13 compared to FY 2011-12. According to Economic Relations Division (ERD), the WB is the largest development partner, in terms of the highestfund disbursement, in the last fiscal as the government received $ 631.61million worth of aid from the global lender. It received US$409.93 million from WB in FY 2011-12.
According to ERD, the WB had disbursed $500 million in the 2011-12 fiscal, which was 11 per cent more than FY 2010-11.
Meanwhile, overall foreign aid also increased this year as other donor countries and agencies disbursed more loans for various projects in the country amid uncertainties over the WB funding of the bridge project.
According to ERD sources, during July-May of the fiscal year, the International Development Association, the soft loan window of the World Bank, came out as the top lender and released $631.68 million, followed by the Asian Development Bank with $566.61 million and Japan International Cooperation Agency with $338.37 million.
China provided $175.69 million, India gave $179.48 million and European Union provided $68.07 million during the period, the data showed.
-With The Independent input
