WB president to arrive in Dhaka on Sunday

President of World Bank (WB) Group Jim Yong Kim will arrive in Dhaka on Sunday to see firsthand the progress Bangladesh has made in transitioning successfully to a lower-middle income country. During the two-day visit, Kim will join a public event to mark "End Poverty Day" to celebrate Bangladesh's achievements in lifting more than 20 million people out of poverty in less than two decades with its strong economic performance, innovative work with the poor, job creation by private sectors, consistent investment in human development and effective disaster management. "Bangladesh has had remarkable success in cutting the number of people living in poverty by almost half and its innovations are well known. Many countries have learned from them," a WB statement said quoting Kim. The statement, issued on the eve of the WB top official visit, also said that he expressed keen interest to know how the World Bank Group can work with Bangladesh to promote private sector investment by strengthening governance and improving the investment climate. During his visit, Kim will meet with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith along with other senior government officials for broad ranging discussions on the country's development progress and explore opportunities to deepen the World Bank's engagement. He will also meet with civil society representatives and private sector leaders and visit several World Bank-supported projects during his stay in Dhaka.