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Thursday | October 08, 2026 | Dhaka

Govt urges World Bank to speed up urban health activities

 Staff Reporter
 Published: 12:01 AM, 08 October 2026
State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam chairs a meeting with the World Bank's South Asia Country Director on the Improvement Urban Public Health Project at the Local Government Division in the capital on Wednesday.

State Minister for Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Mir Shahe Alam has urged the World Bank delegation to expedite activities under the ‘Improvement of Urban Public Health Preventive Services Project’.

He made the call while delivering his concluding remarks at a review meeting at the conference room of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives on Wednesday.

Representatives of the World Bank, led by Christophe Lemiere, and consultants of the Local Government Division and the Project Management Unit held detailed discussions on the overall progress of the World Bank-funded project.

The meeting reviewed various development activities being implemented in Bangladesh with assistance from the World Bank.

The project focuses on several areas of urban public health, including the control of mosquito- and vector-borne diseases, management of medical waste outside hospitals, and the impact of climate change on public health. Its climate-related activities include addressing heat waves, air pollution and noise pollution.

The project also aims to raise public awareness through behavioural change communication strategies and create necessary facilities to reduce non-communicable diseases.

The project covers Dhaka South City Corporation, Dhaka North City Corporation, Chattogram City Corporation, and the municipalities of Savar and Tarabo adjacent to Dhaka.

Expressing satisfaction with the overall progress of the project, Shahe Alam assured the World Bank delegation of all-out cooperation from the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives for its speedy implementation.

The state minister placed particular emphasis on protecting the urban environment and public health.
He urged the World Bank delegation to take initiatives to implement two separate new projects for medical waste management in Dhaka North and Dhaka South city corporations.

Director General of the Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation and Inspection Wing of the ministry Shibir Bichitra Barua and Local Government Division Joint Secretary Md Robiul Islam, among others, attended the meeting.