World Bank Country Director Ellen Goldstein on Tuesday said she is hopeful about finding a solution to the impasse over financing of the Padma bridge project and starting the implementation process.
“I remain optimistic that we are going to find a way forward,” she told reporters in Dhaka.
She was speaking to reporters after the opening ceremony of a four-day Global Development Learning Network Asia Pacific Regional Meeting in the capital.
Goldstein said she expected to get the report from the WB panel this month.
“The WB panel will certainly give its report this month. Of course, it will become public,” she said.
She said after the report is submitted, the WB and other co-financiers — Asian Development Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency and Islamic Development Bank — on the Padma bridge project have to also take a decision.
“It’s is two-stage process: the panel gives the report and then the co-financiers need to make their own decisions about the financing and the project itself,” said the WB country chief.
