Dutch Minister Bert Koenders

A two member group of Dutch ministers will arrive in Dhaka on July 5, a press statement said

The group will include Bert Koenders, the Dutch minister for development cooperation and Dutch vice minister of transport, public works and water management Tineke Huizinga.

During tow days short visit they will meet with prime minister Sheikh Hasina, finance minister AMA Muhit, foreign minister Dipu Moni and the water resources minister Ramesh Chandra Sen, the statement said.

The ministers will also visit education and water sector projects, funded by the Netherlands and will also meet with members of parliament, academics, development experts and the representatives of NGOs and the business community, the statement said.

Mr Koenders was appointed Minister for Development Cooperation in the fourth Balkenende government On 22 February 2007. He has held numerous positions, including member of the Governing Council of the Society for International Development and chair of the board of the Parliamentary Network on the World Bank.

In 2009, he had criticized Pope Benedict XVI over his assertion that handing out condoms is not the solution to combatting AIDS and actually makes the problem worse.

Since the liberation of Bangladesh, the country  has received over 1 billion dollars from the Dutch, mostly in grants through government and non-government channels for the improvement of water management, land reclamation, combating climate change, good governance and others, the statement said

Tags: Bangladesh, development, dutch, environment, minister