DHAKA: Bangladesh will receive a total of 178.223 billion yen (about US$1.59 billion) from JICA as Japanese ODA loans for six infrastructure projects. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) signed loan agreements with Bangladesh for the loan package on June 29, said JICA as quoted by BSS. The six projects are- the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project (loan amount: 76.825 billion yen), Kanchpur, Meghna and Gumti 2nd Bridges Construction and Existing Bridges Rehabilitation Project (loan amount: 52.73 billion yen), Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line 1) (E/S) (loan amount: 5.593 billion yen), Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Project (loan amount: 10.745 billion yen), Dhaka Underground Substation Construction Project (loan amount: 20.477 billion yen) and Small Scale Water Resources Development Project (Phase 2) (loan amount: 11.853 billion yen).
Bangladesh is one of the most populous countries in the world and it has continued to grow at an average pace of six percent per annum due to the development of sewing and other ready-made garment related industries. In the national “7th Five-Year Plan (2016-2020),” the government of Bangladesh established the goal (“Vision 2021”) of achieving middle-income status as a country by 2021. JICA will continue to support efforts in Bangladesh to address challenges to further economic growth and overcome social vulnerability. Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Expansion Project (1) will be implemented to improve airport capacity, convenience and safety, by constructing a new international passenger terminal, cargo terminal and other infrastructure and facilities, thereby contributing to further economic growth in Bangladesh. Construction of the second new Kanchpur, Meghna and Gumti bridges adjacent to the existing bridges on Dhaka-Chittagong National Highway No. 1 will strengthen the capacity and the efficiency of transport and improve the safety of bridges.
Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Development Project (Line 1) (E/S) will help alleviate the traffic congestion and mitigate the air pollution in Dhaka. The loan will be for the engineering services (E/S) required for the study, design and tender stages of the project. Matarbari Ultra Super Critical Coal-Fired Power Project (III) will counter the rising demand for power while mitigating greenhouse gas emissions in Bangladesh. It will be the first ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant (capable of producing 1,200 megawatts of power in total) in Bangladesh, a JICA press release said.
Under Dhaka Underground Substation Construction Project, two underground substations will be constructed in Dhaka, the first in Bangladesh, which will improve the electric supply reliability and the balance between the electric power supply and demand, the release added. The objective of Small Scale Water Resources Development Project (Phase 2) is to increase agricultural production and farmers’ incomes by providing infrastructure for small-scale water resource management, agri-business- related facilities/equipment and rural infrastructure, and training and technical support to the Water Management Cooperative Associations in four divisions- Dhaka, Mymensingh, Sylhet and Rangpur.
