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Islamic Development Bank President’s Visit IDB president Dr. Ahmad had a busy and successful visit of Bangladesh.In this visit apart from the government program, he attended the Annual General meeting of the the Islami Bangladesh Limited of which the Islamic Development Bank is a sponsor share-holder. He addressed the AGM and expressed his satisfaction of the micro-finance operation of IBBL in nine thousand villages and expressed his desire to make the IBBL program as a model for the Muslim world with suitable adjustments in their ten billion dollar poverty reduction program in their member-countries.. He also in the evening addressed the village women leaders of IBBL micro-finance program where women leaders of Muslim and Hindu communities expressed their experience with IBBL micro-finance program (Rural Development Scheme). The IDB president signed three agreements were signed between the government of Bangladesh and the IDB following a meeting between the finance adviser, AB Mirza Azizul Islam, and the visiting IDB president, Ahmad Mohamed Ali, at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar in Dhaka on Friday. The secretary of economic relations division, Mohammad Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, and the IDB president signed the agreements on behalf of the Bangladesh government and the IDB respectively. The finance adviser was present on the occasion. . Earlier, the finance adviser and the IDB president discussed matters of mutual interest particularly strengthening IDB cooperation in areas like agriculture, education, health, rural infrastructure, power and support Bangladesh Petroleum Corporation for importing crude oil and petroleum products. Ahmad Mohammad Ali assured the finance adviser of IDB's further cooperation in the coming years. The IDB president also assured the Bangladesh government of providing assistance for rehabilitation of the flood-hit people in Bangladesh and sending a mission soon for making an assessment of damage caused by the floods. We are happy at this successful visit of IDB president.It will increase bi-lateral co-operation between Bangladesh and IDB.We are also happy that IDB considers IBBL micro finance model as the basis for its shariah-compliant model for its member countries. We know that IDB wants to integrate waqf and Zakat with micro finance. This is very much possible as has been discussed in various conferences organized by Muslim Aid, UK and Islamic Economics Research Bureau, Dhaka.We hope ten billion dollar IDB fund would be used in the best possible manner.
