Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is ready to sit with Bangladesh authorities to discuss Padma Bridge funding if the agency gets a formal proposal from the government, JICA's Director General for South Asia Masataka Nakahara said in New Delhi on Thursday.
He told journalists after a meeting with high officials of Bangladesh that the Padma Bridge funding issue was not discussed at "today's meeting, but JICA would discuss the issue if it gets a formal proposal from the government."
Bangladesh Bank (BB) Governor Dr Atiur Rahman and ERD Secretary Abul Kamal Azad held the meeting with the JICA's top official on the sidelines of the 46th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The meeting was scheduled for 2-5 May in the industrial city under Delhi National Capital Region.
Briefing newsmen on the meeting, ERD Secretary said JICA assured the government of funding the $1.80bn metro rail project in the capital. Besides, he said, JICA would also expand the area of cooperation for socio- economic development of Bangladesh.
Azad said they had fruitful discussions on further cooperation in agricultural development and expanding cooperation in financial and social sectors.
He said the JICA DG praised the SME funding of Bangladesh Bank and viewed that JICA would help the central bank to increase financial support to develop the small and medium enterprises.
"The JICA high official expressed his deep condolences to family members of the victims of Savar building collapse and praised the government for its rescue efforts.
