World Bank keen to support govt’s priority programmes

The World Bank has expressed interest in supporting the government's priority programmes, including the Family Card and Farmers' Card initiatives, employment generation and women's economic empowerment.

The interest was conveyed by World Bank Division Director for Bangladesh Jean Pesme during a meeting with Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin at the Prime Minister's Office in Tejgaon on Tuesday afternoon, according to an official press release.

The two sides discussed several of the government's priority initiatives, focusing on the nationwide expansion of the Family Card programme, the Farmers' Card scheme, job creation, increasing women's participation in the workforce, expanding technical and vocational education and strengthening the economic empowerment of grassroots women.

They also exchanged views on extending the Family Card programme to ensure greater inclusion of poor and marginalised people, particularly women.

The discussion highlighted the importance of developing a skilled workforce and strengthening employment-oriented education to meet the evolving demands of the labour market.

Mahdi Amin, who also serves as the Prime Minister's Office spokesperson, briefed the World Bank delegation on the government's policy priorities, including key commitments outlined in the BNP's election manifesto, and discussed strategies for their implementation.

The meeting also explored potential areas of cooperation to promote inclusive development, expand employment opportunities, strengthen public welfare and increase participation in economic activities across all levels of society.

The World Bank representatives expressed their willingness to share their global experience in implementing development programmes and reaffirmed their interest in providing technical assistance while working closely with the government to implement its priority initiatives.

The World Bank delegation included Gayle Martin, Dhruv Sharma, Aneeka Rahman, Syed Rashed Al-Zayed Josh and Shrayana Bhattacharya.