Bangladesh a top choice in ADB financing: official

Bangladesh will remain a priority for the Asian Development Bank in its lending expansion plan for the next five years, said Hun Kim, director general of the South Asia department of the lender.

"Now Bangladesh is a bright spot for the ADB. We are very optimistic about the country," Kim told The Daily Star yesterday on the sidelines of the ADB's annual meeting in Frankfurt.

He said Bangladesh got $1.5 billion in financing from the ADB in 2015, and this year the lender will start a $1-billion railway project.

“Fund is not a problem for Bangladesh; its capacity to absorb funds has to be increased.”

Kim, a Korean national, also said Bangladesh has been on a higher growth trajectory. Bangladesh's capacity to utilise aid has increased significantly compared to its South Asian peers, he said.

"Bangladesh is a success story but it is not fully recognised; it is doing everything right in the region."

The country has advanced a lot in industries and agriculture sectors, creating jobs for its people. Bangladesh’s textile sector is a bright example of success, he said.

“We were a donor 20 years ago, but now we are partners,” Kim said.

“The ADB is not formulating projects anymore for Bangladesh; the government is doing that and we are supporting their plans," he said, adding that the capacity of Bangladesh's bureaucracy has also increased substantially.

On regional cooperation and infrastructure deficiency, he said Bangladesh is at the centre of the South Asia region. "We have our mission to promote regional cooperation and we have discussed the issue in the meeting," he said.  The ADB is going to review investment projects next week in New Delhi to set priorities for the region. "You will feel the shift soon."

On the delay in project approval and loan disbursement, which Finance Minister AMA Muhith pointed out on Tuesday, Kim said: "All our projects need planning and design before we award those to contractors."

Kim suggested the government should make project proposals ready to get the loans disbursed quickly. The country should also diversify its export basket, he said. “The ADB is studying what Bangladesh can do after textile.”