IFAD President visits Bangladesh
While in the country, he held meetings with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Minister of Finance Abdul Maal Abdul Muhith and Minister of Agriculture Begum Matia Chowdhury to discuss IFAD’s investments in the country and new partnerships in the future.
He traveled to Sunamganj to learn about the progress on the IFAD-supported Sunamganj Community Based Resource Management Project and exchange with the participants.
Further, Nwanze signed a financing agreement of a US$55 million IFAD loan, a US$1 million IFAD grant and a US$ 30 million Spanish Trust Fund loan for the Haor Infrastructure and Livelihood Enhancement Project. This project will help reduce poverty in five districts of the Haor basin: Netrakona, Habiganj, Brahmanbaria, Kishorganj and Sunamganj. It aims to improve roads, build local capacity and expand access to natural resources, technology and markets. Improved infrastructure will reduce transportation time and costs while increasing the volume of marketed goods. Over 115,000 households composed of smallholder farmers with less than 2.5 acres of land will benefit directly from the project, as well as fishers, poor women and small traders and intermediaries in local markets.