Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Dr Abdul Moyeen Khan on Tuesday said Denmark's cooperation can play an important role in addressing the capital's growing demand for safe drinking water and worsening water crisis.
Denmark can be an important partner of Bangladesh in the fields of water supply, waste management and development assistance, he said when Danish Ambassador to Bangladesh Christian Brix Moller called on him at the Secretariat.
During the meeting, they discussed strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Denmark, expanding cooperation in water supply and waste management, and the possibility of Danish investment in development projects.
At the onset of the meeting, the Danish envoy congratulated the Bangladesh minister on assuming his new responsibility.
At the same time, he hoped that bilateral relations would be strengthened between Bangladesh and Denmark in the future, while the areas of cooperation would be expanded.
The minister said Denmark can play an important role in key sectors such as water supply and waste management in Bangladesh. "Especially, Denmark has investment opportunities in producing energy from waste," he said.
They also discussed various aspects of Denmark's financing and cooperation in the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant Project (Phase-3).
The Danish government will finance Tk 4,500 crore in the project. Of the amount, Tk 1,500 crore will be given in grants and Tk 3,000 crore in soft loans.
After the meeting, State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam told reporters that Denmark's support in the third phase of the Sayedabad Water Treatment Plant Project is a big success for the government. "Once the project is implemented, it will be possible to meet the increasing demand for clean water in Dhaka to a great extent," he added.
