The government of Japan will provide an amount of 500 million Japanese yen (equivalent to approximately Tk 41.95 crore) as grant for the “Primary Education Development Programme-3 (PEDP-3)”. An agreement was signed to this effect between the governments of Bangladesh and Japan on Thursday. Economic Relations Division secretary Abul Kalam Azad signed the deal on behalf of the Bangladesh government while Shiro Sadoshima, ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh, and Dr Takao Toda, chief representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Bangladesh, signed it on behalf of the Japanese government. ‘PEDP-3’ will be implemented during the 2011-2016 period by the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education. This is the third term of Japan’s contribution to this programme following two grants each in 2011 and 2012 of the same amount.
Under this programme, the grant will be utilised in the education sector for poverty reduction in Bangladesh. The main objective of this programme is to improve the quality of the classroom education at primary level through providing modern training in science and mathematics. Besides, supporting equipment related to teaching of science and mathematics will also be provided
under this programme to improve the quality of education. Being the single largest bilateral development partner of Bangladesh, Japan has contributed significantly to the overall development of the country.
In addition to soft loans for poverty reduction, health and family welfare, education, transportation and communications, electricity and other infrastructures and urban development, Japan is also providing substantial amount of grant and technical assistance for different projects.
-With The Independent input
