World Bank wants to stand by Bangladesh on energy crisis and infrastructure reform, delegation in Dhaka
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The World Bank wants to provide support in tackling the country’s power and energy crisis, ensuring energy security and reforming the infrastructure sector. A four-member high-level delegation of the lender arrived in Dhaka yesterday, Saturday, to hold meetings with the government’s policymakers and the agencies concerned on the matter. The team will stay in Bangladesh until 7 October.
The delegation is visiting under the leadership of Pankaj Gupta, the World Bank’s regional practice director for infrastructure for the South Asia region. During the visit, discussions will be held on financing of energy imports, supply security, expansion of renewable energy, sector reform, private investment and institutional capacity building.
Gayle H Martin, operations manager of the World Bank’s Dhaka office, recently confirmed this important four-day visit in a letter to Md Ahsan Kibria Siddiqui, additional secretary of the Economic Relations Division (ERD).
The World Bank’s letter to the ERD says discussions will be held on the joint role of the government and the World Bank in ensuring an affordable, reliable and sustainable energy supply in Bangladesh. Alongside this, the progress of World Bank-financed energy projects that are ongoing and in the pipeline will also be reviewed.
High energy prices in the international market, the foreign currency crisis and huge import costs have created intense financial pressure on the country’s energy sector. According to the Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation (BPC), the corporation incurred a loss of Tk 22,875.66 crore in the six months from March to August this year. To keep oil imports going, the BPC also had to take Tk 19,500 crore from its own funds.
The World Bank is already assisting in energy imports. Under the ‘Energy Sector Security Enhancement Project’, the lender approved $350 million in June 2025 and a further $350 million subsequently for LNG imports. As a result, total financing for the project has stood at $700 million. Implementation of the project and future financing will also be discussed during the visit.
Meanwhile, the delegation will also discuss various projects, including the development of Chattogram’s Bay Terminal, the Dhaka-Chattogram logistics and transport corridor, the railway’s strategic plan, modernisation of shipping infrastructure, sustainable urban planning, land management and water resources management.
During the visit, the World Bank team will hold meetings with top officials of the relevant public and private agencies, including the ministries of finance; power and energy; road transport and bridges; railways; shipping; local government; and water resources.
Source: TBS
