IDB President Ahmad Mohamed Ali has left for Dhaka to witness the signing of an agreement to finance shelter, water supply and sanitation projects in Sidr-affected areas under IDB’s “Fael Khair” Program, the bank said. The donation of $130million was made to IDB by an anonymous philanthropist to support the victims of Sidr, which hit the coastal areas of Bangladesh on Nov. 15, 2007, killing thousands and rendering millions homeless, an IDB statement said.

The IDB president will visit Sidr-affected Sharankhola upazila in Bagerhat district to lay the foundation stone of a school-cum cyclone shelter to be implemented under the project. He will also visit some successful agro-input program beneficiaries.

Of the total grant, $110 million will be spent for constructing around 440 cyclone shelters-cum-primary schools, the bank said. The remaining amount would be spent for the rehabilitation of agriculture and fisheries in the cyclone-ravaged areas.

During the visit, the IDB president will also witness the signing of another historic agreement with the Bangladesh government for the construction of $1.5 billion Padma multipurpose bridge project to which IDB will contribute $140 million.

Ali will meet Bangladesh Finance Minister AMA Muhith on Tuesday. Later, both will witness the signing of two loan agreements. The water supply and sanitation project is estimated to cost $14.84 million.

Of the estimated cost of $2.97 billion for Bangladesh’s longest 6.15 km Padma Bridge project, the Dhaka government signed a $1.12 billion credit agreement with the World Bank on April 28 and another $ 415 million credit agreement with Japan International Cooperation Agency on May 18. The Padma Bridge will connect the southwestern region with the rest of the country.

IDB was the first among the cofinanciers (who include Abu Dhabi Fund and ADB) of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge to approve financing for this mega-project that will help boost the economy of Bangladesh and improve road connectivity in the region.

According to press reports, Cyclone Sidr killed nearly 15,000 people and rendered 7 million homeless. Over a million houses were wiped out and trees uprooted in what officials described as the worst storm in more than 15 years.