The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

The Australian Government will provide Taka 520 crore to Bangladesh to help alleviate poverty as well as improve health status of poor women and children.

Of the amount, Taka 236 crore would be given to BRAC for implementing one of its project, which will lift over four million people out of poverty by the next four years, Australian High Commission sources said.

Under the programme, grants will be provided to enable poor women to set up small enterprises including livestock, poultry and grow vegetables for improving their family's resilience to price shocks as the cost of staple foods continued to increase.

The programme will also provide modest income support to the women while they establish their business as well as facilitate their access to health service.

The rest of Taka 284 crore will be provided to BRAC and UNICEF to help extend their ongoing 'Maternal, Newborn and Child Survival Project' implementing in ten districts.

The AusAID expects that after getting the fund the number of beneficiary women of the project would be double, the sources said.

Australian government will provide the fund through its aid agency AusAID. Richard Moore, visiting Deputy Director General of AusAID, yesterday signed an agreement with representatives of BRAC and UNICEF here on Thursday.

The executive director of BRAC and the acting representative of UNICEF were also present at the function.