The Government of Bangladesh has declared “Vision 2021‟ with a target to make Bangladesh a middle-income country by using Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and by developing favorable business environment for Hi-Tech industries. The Project Development Objective (PDO) of the The World Bank’s Private Investment & Digital Entrepreneurship (PRIDE) project is “to promote private investment and job creation in economic zones and digital entrepreneurship in hi-tech parks.” The project aims to strengthen the foundation of the digital entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem in Bangladesh. It will create the country’s largest agglomeration of IT and ITeS companies in Dhaka’s Janata STP and promote digital entrepreneurship more broadly among young professionals and women. It will design and implement a program that supports digital entrepreneurship at three levels. This sub-component would finance works, goods and technical assistance to: (a) bring in an experienced private operator for Janata-1 and Janata-2 (i.e. the expanded Janata STP) under an open and transparent international competitive bidding process. The transaction advisor will structure a performance-based contract for an operator with a proven track record of managing similar facilities and promoting it to private tenants; and (b) upgrade Janata-1 STP and build Janata-2 STP by adding 125,000 ft2 of workspace. BHTPA will finance US$10 million of the works and IDA will finance the remaining amount (up to a maximum of US$10 million) plus goods and technical assistance. The combined new Janata STP would host approximately 200 micro entrepreneurs, 100 small firms and 30 medium-sized firms in the IT and ITeS space. To go ahead with the construction, an Environmental and Social Assessment is required. The main objectives of the ESA are: i. To identify and assess the environmental and social risks and impacts of the project in a manner consistent with the ESSs and relevant laws and policies of GoB; ii. To develop a mitigation hierarchy approach to the project’s environmental and social risks; iii. To help identify differentiated impacts on the disadvantaged or vulnerable and to identify differentiated measures to mitigate such impacts, wherever applicable. dRi was assigned to develop the ESA.
Serial No: 37
Theme: Environmental Socia Assessment and Management
Research Method: Mix-method
Partner: Bangladesh Hitech Park Authority
Starting Year: 2019
Study Area: Dhaka
