People wait in the queue outside of a coronavirus testing center amid concerns over coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Dhaka, Bangladesh, May 17, 2020. REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain
BEIJING (Reuters) – Beijing-backed Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) said on Thursday it had approved a $250 million loan to Bangladesh to help the country cope with the coronavirus pandemic.
The project, which will be cofinanced by the Asian Development Bank, is intended to help Bangladesh’s government with budget support to help the country’s most vulnerable, according to a statement. It is intended to strengthen social safety nets and mitigate the effects of job losses in small and medium sized companies and the informal economy.
“Bangladesh is extremely vulnerable to the COVID-19 virus given that it has one of the highest population densities in the world,” said the release.
The loan is part of a $10 billion funding facility the AIIB has announced to help public and private sector entities deal with the pandemic.
Reporting by Gabriel Crossley; Editing by Kim Coghill