World Bank vice president Martin Raiser due tomorrow

World Bank Vice President for the South Asia Region, Martin Raiser, will arrive in Dhaka tomorrow.

He will be accompanied by the incoming Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan, Abdoulaye Seck.

"I am glad to be back in Bangladesh and to continue discussing with the government the important reforms that can help the country stay on the resilient and inclusive growth path and create opportunities for the people," said Raiser.

During his three-day visit, Raiser will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Finance Minister A H M Mustafa Kamal, along with other senior government officials.

He will introduce Seck, who will assume the position of the World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Bhutan on January 1, 2023. They will also visit a World Bank-supported project, said a press release.

"Bangladesh has an impressive record in many aspects of development, including poverty reduction, climate change adaptation and disaster-risk preparedness, and gender parity in school enrollment, to name a few, said Seck. "I look forward to working closely with the government and people of Bangladesh as the country works toward the goal of achieving upper-middle income status by 2031."

A Senegalese national, Seck joined the World Bank in 1995 as an economist and has since held leadership positions in different countries. Prior to taking this assignment, Seck served as the Country Director for Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo. He also served as the World Bank Country Manager for Afghanistan, Myanmar, and Moldova.

The World Bank was among the first development partners to support Bangladesh following its independence. Since then, the World Bank has committed more than $37 billion in grants, interest-free, and concessional credits to the country. Bangladesh currently has the largest ongoing International Development Association (IDA) program totaling over $15.7 billion in 55 active projects.