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Bangladesh to Receive Asian Development Bank Aid

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has announced that it will provide an estimated $96.1 million to Bangladesh to help expand economic opportunities for the rural poor in that country. Chief among the priorities and reasons for the aid is the improvement of rural infrastructure, and improving the quality of local-area governance. The Asian Development Bank signed an agreement with the government of Bangladesh on Sunday in Dhaka, the capital of the country.

Ismail Zabihullah, representing the Economic Relations Division of Bangladesh`s Ministry of Finance, and Hua Du, the Director of the Asian Development Bank`s Bangladesh Resident Mission, were the co-signers of the agreement. Thanks to the treaty and the aid that it paves the way for, it is estimated that as many as 6 million people stand to benefit in Bangladesh from easier access to markets and other services.

The aid will, according to some analysts, result in an estimated 20 percent increase in the average farm income for a Bangladeshi family. About 6,164 miles of roads that make up the country`s rural road network, as well as 370 local markets and the facilities for 190 union councils, will receive funding and improvements to help reduce rampant poverty in 23 districts of northern and central Bangladesh.