Newsletter No. 728
News-Analysis
September 6, 2007

 

Most of the information below has been provided by M. Aynul Islam (Shingetsu Member No. 152) of the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies in Dhaka.

LOANS AND GRANT AID FOR THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR IN BANGLADESH

The Financial Express reports that Bangladesh will receive a US$112 million soft loan from Japan for a railway sector modernisation. The Economic Relations Division (ERD) and Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), the lending arm of Japanese government, recently finalised the terms and conditions of the loan at a nominal 0.1 percent interest rate. The amount will be used for the construction of the Laksham-Chinaka Astana single track to double-track line, procurement of ten locomotives, balancing, modernisation, rehabilitation and expansion (BMRE) of the Pahartoli Workshop, and the remodelling of the Chittagong Station yard.

Separately, MOFA announced the provision of more than US$5 million in grant aid for the third phase of the Project for the Provision of Portable Steel Bridges on Upazila and Union Roads. Notes to this effect were exchanged on August 15th in Dhaka between Ambassador Masayuki Inoue and Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, Secretary of the Economic Relations Division of the Bangladeshi Ministry of Finance. This latest aid package is expected to provide bridges for 26 locations that will facilitate the passage of automobiles, bicycles, and rickshaws.

A JAPANESE SOLO ART EXHIBITION IN DHAKA

A Japanese solo art exhibition was held during 3-9 August at the Zainul Gallery, Institute of Fine Arts, the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Japanese artist Tomono Shimizu played the main role in the exhibition.