The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will provide $1.5 million for strengthening the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) as a support of the government’s institutional development initiatives. ADB and the Government of Bangladesh on November 14 signed a technical assistance (TA) grant agreement to this effect.
The Government of Japan is financing the TA through the Japan Fund for Poverty Reduction. ADB will administer the fund, and provide technical support for project implementation, says a press release.
The release said the technical assistance project will help modernize the RHD and streamline its business processes. It will also support RHD to improve its schemes for maintenance of roads and bridges, and overloading control.
The technical assistance forms part of ABD’s attempt to strengthen the capacity of the overall road sector in the country, recent example of which also includes the ongoing South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) Road Connectivity Project that will enhance capacity of major international trade corridors and land ports, thereby boosting the national economy as well as facilitating subregional cooperation and trade.
“This TA will help improve human resources, auditing, management information systems, planning capacity, e-tendering, and computerization of the RHD,” said M. Teresa Kho, Country Director for ADB’s Bangladesh Resident Mission.
“In addition to other reforms as per an action plan, a training center for the RHD engineers will also be developed,” she added.
