ADB assistance for Rohingya rehabilitation, solar pumps

Staff Correspondent: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday signed a deal to provide assistance to Bangladesh for Rohingya rehabilitation and solar power development.

The Manila-based lender signed separate deals with the government in a bid to provide $100 million grant for Rohingya rehabilitation and $25.442 million for solar power development.

Kazi Shofiqul Azam, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD), and Manmohan Parkash, Country Director of the ADB in Bangladesh signed the agreement at a ceremony in Dhaka.

Under the $100 million grant, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) will construct roads, the Department of Public Health Engineering (DPHE) will work to ensure safe water and sanitation, the Roads and Highways Department will ensure connectivity and the Rural Electrification Board will provide electricity in Cox’s Bazar areas where the Burmese people Rohingya are now stranded.

Under the $25.44 million grant, the ADB will support Bangladesh to spur off-grid solar photovoltaic (SPV) pumping for agricultural irrigation.
 

risingbd/Dhaka/August 09, 2018/Hassan/A K Azad