The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Germany is planning to intensify its support to Bangladesh for the establishment of transparent, citizen-responsive administration (good governance) in cities and municipalities of the country.

This is the most important result of the government negotiations on German-Bangladesh development cooperation that concluded here today.

According to a release of the German embassy here, in the framework of a credit programme implemented with the Asian Development Bank, incentives will be created in the future for cities and municipalities to orient their activities to poverty reduction and to increase the participation of their own citizens in municipal planning process.

This, the release said, includes, for example, joint programs for investment in streets, public markets, and water supply as well as improvements in the living conditions in slums - measures that directly translate the reform process into benefits for local people.

A total of 51 million euros for the years 2008 and 2009 was committed during the just-concluded government negotiations. In addition to municipal development, measures to improve energy efficiency and to strengthen the legal and social position of women in Bangladesh will be supported.

Bangladesh is particularly affected by the results of climate change. In order to help prevent climate- induced harm, German development cooperation is supporting, for the first time in Bangladesh, a programme to preserve biodiversity and protect river banks in one of the large river systems of the country.