Dhaka 03 February 2025:
French Ambassador Marie Masdupuy paid a courtesy call on Asif Mahmud, Advisor to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Cooperatives (LGRDC) On February 2, 2025.
DID YOU KNOW that France is the largest bilateral donor for LGRDC projects in Bangladesh, with nearly 690 million EUR in commitments?
The French Development Agency (AFD – Agence Française de Développement) is making significant strides in improving water and sanitation in Dhaka, Chittagong, and secondary cities.
During the meeting, Ambassador Masdupuy praised the excellent collaboration between AFD and local agencies like DWASA, CWASA, and DPHE. She expressed hope that ongoing projects will be implemented swiftly to benefit the people of Bangladesh, overcoming unnecessary hurdles.
Among AFD’s urban development projects, the Gandharbpur Water Treatment Plant stands out as a flagship initiative, co-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB). This 177 million EUR investment aims to provide fresh potable water to 4.3million people in Dhaka by shifting water sourcing from depleting underground sources to the Meghna River. The project is being carried out by a French joint-venture between Suez International and OTV-Veolia.
Additionally, AFD and Team Europe (German KFW, Danish DANIDA, and EIB) are also backing the third phase of the Saidabad Water Treatment Plant in Dhaka, which will ensure the quality of drinking water for nearly 2.5million residents.
Good news also came from the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), which approved the “Chattogram Metropolitan North Kattali Catchment Sanitation Project” on February 2 with a175 million EUR sovereign concessional loan from AFD.
By 2030, this project, implemented by CWASA, will provide sanitation services to approximately 300,000 residents by connecting them to a modern sewage treatment plant. Another 50,000 people in North Kattali will gain access to basic sanitation services, including fecal sludge management.
