Public interest must guide development projects: LGRD minister

Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives (LGRD) Minister Abdul Moyeen Khan on Tuesday stressed the need to prioritise public interest and conduct proper feasibility studies before taking up development projects.

He made the remarks during a meeting with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Chief Representative Junko Takahashi at the Secretariat. The meeting discussed the progress of ongoing JICA-funded projects under the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and ways to expand future cooperation.

The minister described Japan as one of Bangladesh's major development partners and thanked JICA for its growing support for the country's development. He also called for new projects and expanded cooperation to strengthen local government institutions.

Moyeen Khan cited the metro rail project as an example, saying an extension to Tongi or Joydebpur could have enabled more people to benefit from the service. He also called for greater caution in assessing the feasibility of development projects in the haor areas.

JICA informed the meeting that it was implementing projects in several sectors, including community services, water supply, sanitation, regional development, waste management, disaster management and haor development. The agency's chief representative assured the minister of further cooperation in these areas.

The meeting reviewed progress on the Urban Development and City Governance Project (UDCGP) and the Southern Chattogram Regional Development Project (SCRDP), both being implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

The minister instructed the authorities concerned to expedite implementation and ensure that the projects were completed within their stipulated deadlines.

JICA Senior Representative Morikawa Yoko, Local Governance Adviser Akira Munakata, Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua and senior ministry officials attended the meeting.

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Later, UAE Ambassador to Bangladesh Abdulla Ali Khaseif Abdulla Alhmoudi met the minister in the Secretariat.

Moyeen Khan said excessive dependence on groundwater could pose challenges to the availability of safe drinking water in the coming years.

He sought UAE cooperation in converting saline water into potable water and proposed launching a pilot project in Cox's Bazar through a joint initiative of the two countries.

The minister also stressed the need to increase UAE investment in Bangladesh. He said making large initial investments could be difficult for Bangladesh, but foreign investors' participation and the option of repaying investment costs in phases would make such projects more manageable.

During the meeting, the minister also briefed the ambassador on the challenges facing Bangladesh in its democratic transition.

The UAE ambassador said Bangladeshi workers were making significant contributions to the development of his country. Considering the needs of the UAE labour market, he stressed the importance of exporting skilled manpower and sought Bangladesh's cooperation in this regard.

The ambassador also called for a reduction in taxes on high-quality limestone imported from the UAE to Bangladesh to increase import volumes.

In response, Dr Moyeen Khan assured him that he would inform the relevant authorities about the matter.

UAE Economic Analyst in Bangladesh Shahmina Isha Mannan, Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing Shibir Bichitra Barua, and senior officials of the ministry were present at the meeting.