Outgoing Country Director of the World Bank for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, Qimiao Fan, on Sunday said the global lending agency will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh for the country's economic development.
He said this when he made his farewell call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at her parliament office.
PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting.
Qimiao Fan said Bangladesh has made tremendous progress in the past decade, focusing its development in the human development indices.
"The World Bank will continue to cooperate with Bangladesh for its economic development," Ihsanul Karim quoted him as saying.
Although Bangladesh is a densely populated country, it has embarked on a very good economic and social progress, the World Bank country director said, praising the country for its success in poverty alleviation.
When the Rohingya issue was discussed at the meeting, the prime minister said the international community should help Bangladesh.
The prime minister said Bangladesh is trying its best to develop the country.
She said: "The development of Bangladesh was neglected by military rulers."
Mentioning her government's commitment to ensuring the basic needs of the people, she said the government is materializing the dreams of Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and working to fulfill the basic needs of the people.
She mentioned that Bangladesh has attained self-sufficiency in food.
Noting that Bangladesh has graduated to a developing country from the group of least developed countries, she said the aim of Bangladesh is now to be a developed country. She said she has opened all the sectors to privatization.
Discussing social safety net programs, PM Sheikh Hasina apprised the World Bank director of how she motivated mothers to send their children to schools by providing incentives to them.
