Dhaka: The World Bank has shown a keen interest in supporting Bangladesh’s government priority programmes, focusing on initiatives like the Family Card and Farmers’ Card, as well as employment generation and women’s economic empowerment. This was discussed in a meeting between World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh Jean Pesme and Prime Minister’s Adviser Mahdi Amin at the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the meeting saw the two parties engaging in dialogue about several of the government’s priority programmes, with an emphasis on the nationwide expansion of the Family Card programme and the Farmers’ Card scheme. Discussions also revolved around creating jobs, increasing employment opportunities for women, expanding technical and vocational education, and strengthening the economic empowerment of grassroots women.
Both sides shared insights on broadening the Family Card programme to ensure greater inclusion of the poor and marginalised populations, particularly women. The dialogue underscored the necessity of developing a skilled workforce and enhancing employment-oriented education to align with future labour market demands.
Mahdi Amin, who also serves as the PMO spokesperson, provided the World Bank delegation with a briefing on the government’s policy priorities, including significant commitments from the BNP’s election manifesto, and discussed strategies for their effective implementation. The discussions also explored potential areas of collaboration to promote inclusive development, public welfare, and broader public participation across all levels.
The World Bank representatives expressed their enthusiasm to share their experiences from implementing development programmes across various countries. They also reaffirmed their interest in providing technical support and working closely with the Bangladesh government to execute its priority initiatives effectively.
The World Bank delegation comprised Gayle Martin, Dhruv Sharma, Aneeka Rahman, Syed Rashed Al-Zayed Josh, and Shrayana Bhattacharya.