World Bank (WB) new Vice President for South Asia Martin Raiser has said the WB will remain beside Bangladesh as a partner in adopting economic policies to overcome the challenges of development. Raiser said this at a meeting with Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal on Tuesday night. This is his first visit to Bangladesh after taking over as WB Vice President. Martin Raiser arrived in Dhaka on September 19 on a three-day visit. Raiser praised Bangladesh's economic development in the meeting with the Finance Minister. He also appreciated the timely steps taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to face the crisis created by the Covid-19 pandemic situation. Read: Martin Raiser World Bank's new VP for S Asia The finance minister said that the WB is one of the development partners of Bangladesh. The organization has provided budget support to various development projects in Bangladesh including education, health, electricity, and disaster management sectors. Kamal also thanked the WB for its support in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic . The Finance Minister emphasized further partnership of the World Bank in various initiatives for the socio-economic development of the country. Raiser called the continuity of Bangladesh's progress an exemplary example for many countries in the world and said that Bangladesh is one of the countries receiving the highest IDA loans. Bangladesh Bank Governor Abdur Rouf Talukder, Finance Department Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin, Economic Relations Department Secretary Sharifa Khan, Financial Institutions Department Secretary Sheikh Mohammad Saleem Ullah, and others were present at the meeting.

The World Bank has appointed Martin Raiser as its new Vice President for the South Asia Region. He is an economist and development expert with almost two decades of experience at the World Bank Group. As the regional Vice President for South Asia, Raiser will manage Bank relations with Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and oversee a portfolio of projects, technical assistance and financial resources worth almost US$55 billion, said the global lending agency on Friday. Read: Over $500m WB loan to modernise grids in Dhaka & Mymensingh “The World Bank has been a steadfast partner in South Asia as the region faces multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Raiser.  “I look forward to working together with countries in the region to help address these challenges while laying the foundations and capitalizing on the opportunities for green, resilient and inclusive growth.” Under Raiser’s leadership, the World Bank will continue to support the South Asia region to address different macro, health and humanitarian crises, while advancing human capital development, supporting climate resilience and facilitating regional integration and cooperation. Raiser has held several leadership positions in the organization.  Prior to his current role, he served as the World Bank’s Country Director for China and Mongolia, and Director for Korea.  Read: WB okays $1.03 billion to help improve regional trade in Bangladesh, Nepal Raiser has also held positions as the Country Director for Brazil, Türkiye, Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova as well as Country Manager in Uzbekistan. Before joining the World Bank, Raiser worked for the Kiel Institute of World Economics and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, where he was Director of Country Strategy and Editor of the Transition Report. A German national, Raiser holds a doctorate degree in Economics from the University of Kiel, Germany, and degrees in Economics and Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Sciences. His appointment is effective from July 1, 2022.