Japan and Bangladesh yesterday signed in Dhaka an agreement concerning the Japanese grant assistance to Bangladesh amounting to 733 million Yen or 29.3 crore Taka approximately for the improvement of rural transportation networks through the provision of portable steel bridges. Shigeo Takenaka. Ambassador of Japan to Bangladesh and Dr. Saadat Husain. Additional Secretary.. Economic Relations Division of the Ministry of Finance signed and exchanged notes on behalf of their respective governments, says a press release. .

Under this Exchange of Notes, the Government of Japan will provide Bangladesh with a grant assistance of the said amount for the implementation of the Project for Procurement of Portable Steel Bridges for Rural Roads." It will be executed by the Local Government Engineering Department under the Ministry of Local Government. Rural Development and Cooperatives.

' This project is aimed at rehabilitation and improvement of transportation networks in the rural areas of Bangladesh which were especially hit by the recent natural disasters such as the flood in 1988 and

the cyclone in 1991. It will enable the Installation of portable steel bridges at the crucial locations of major rural roads (Feeder Road Type B) where the existing water channels are critically impeding the road traffic of gdods and people.

Under the termq of the exchanged notes. the Government of Japan will provide the Government of Bangladesh with portable steel bridges which add up to a total length of 1,470 meters and are to be Installed at 32 locations In 18 thanas of the country/

The actual installation work as well as the Improvement of rural roads to be connected by the bridges will be carried out by the Government of Bangladesh with their own resources.

With the implementation of the project, core rural towhs and villages with a total popu-la6on of nearly I million will become directly connected to nearby rural economic centers and major cities with uninterrupted road links It is expected that this will greatly contribute to the vltalization of the rural economies of the areas as well as the creation of much-needed employment opportunities for the rural poor.