Dubbing Bangladesh as a dependable partner, Asian Development Bank (ADB) today said it will stay beside Dhaka as a development partner to supplement its forward march.

This was stated by the members of a high-level delegation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) as they paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Ganobhaban here.

“ADB will remain as a development partner of Bangladesh,” said In-chang Song, the team leader of seven-member visiting team of the ADB Board of Directors representing 33 countries.

After the meeting, PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed the reporters.

The ADB team also appreciated the rapid reduction of poverty level and the high GDP growth and progress in climate change mitigation and food security, saying, “Bangladesh has achieved much progress in attaining food security and climate change mitigation.”

It also assured Bangladesh of continuing its support for repatriation of the Rohingyas.

One of the directors of ADB Kris Panday appreciated Bangladesh for its massive development saying, “Bangladesh has made a remarkable progress in various sectors particularly transportation, energy and housing.”

The ADB director underscored the need for continuation of the regional connectivity and integrity for the sake of the development.

Spelling out massive development works carried out by her government, the premier said, “My government has given priority to the village people and rural areas as the centre of overall development of the country.”

“We made some policies before coming to power and we are implementing those accordingly,” she was quoted as saying.

“My team has been working hard to expedite the development activities and the government is successfully engaged the common people in the development endeavours,” she said.

The premier said her party had chalked out the development plans well before assuming office and later started implementing the programmes after coming to power for the development the country.

The government is currently setting up 100 economic zones which will help expedite the pace of development.

Mentioning that she opened all sectors including energy, telecommunication and transport to the private sector, Sheikh Hasina said it is now contributing to the development of the country.

The government has taken social safety net programmes including widow allowance to bring the underprevilaged in the mainstream, she said.

On the Rohingya issue, the premier said, “It will be better for Bangladesh as quickly as we send back Rohingyas”

About the connectivity, the Prime Minister said the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN) Initiative and the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor are there to strengthen the regional connectivity.

Prime Minister’s Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman was present at the meeting.

Other ADB delegation members are ADB alterative directors Bayrammuhammet Garayev, Kenzo Ohe, Burak M?ezzinoglu and Enrique Galan, and ADB Country Director for Bangladesh Manmohan Parkash.