World Bank Strengthens Role as Trusted Partner in Bangladesh’s Development Journey

The FY2025 Bangladesh Country Opinion Survey shows that the World Bank remains one of the country’s most trusted and effective development partners, with strong appreciation for its financial and knowledge support. Stakeholders urged the Bank to deepen local engagement, expand collaboration, and ensure its projects drive transparent, sustainable progress across Bangladesh.

The FY2025 Bangladesh Country Opinion Survey Report, prepared by the World Bank Group’s ECR Business Intelligence Team in collaboration with Org-Quest Research Limited, gives a detailed look at how Bangladesh’s policymakers, academics, and citizens view the Bank’s work. Conducted between December 2024 and February 2025, the survey reached 315 respondents, including representatives from government institutions, civil society, academia, the private sector, and media. Most were based in Dhaka, reflecting the capital’s central role in policy and development discussions.

A Reputation of Trust and Relevance

The World Bank remains one of Bangladesh’s most trusted international partners, ranking third after regional development banks and the United Nations. Respondents said their trust in the Bank had remained consistent since the 2022 survey, while perceptions of its effectiveness and relevance had improved. Many credited the Bank’s reform efforts, launched in August 2024, for making it easier to work with, expanding partnerships, and improving people’s lives. Government officials expressed the highest trust and familiarity, while students were more critical, often due to limited exposure to its operations. Overall, the Bank was seen as more effective and relevant than it was three years ago and scored higher than the average across South Asian and IDA countries.

Development Priorities Shifting Toward Growth and Resilience

Respondents placed education, health, and climate change as Bangladesh’s top development priorities, followed closely by agriculture, food security, governance, and private sector growth. Compared to 2022, agriculture and private sector development gained importance, reflecting a shift toward economic resilience. Nearly every respondent, 99 percent, said the World Bank had helped achieve project goals, with two-thirds describing its role as “very helpful.” Many cited successful programs like the Primary Education Development Program, which helped achieve near-universal enrollment, and the National Agricultural Technology Project, which supported mechanization and women’s empowerment. The Bank’s work on the Delta Plan 2100 also received praise for advancing long-term climate adaptation and water management.

Financial Strength and Knowledge Power

Three-quarters of stakeholders said the World Bank’s financial support remains its greatest value to Bangladesh, calling its funding timely, competitive, and well-suited to national needs. Many urged the Bank to expand support through more grants and flexible loans while linking financing to strong monitoring and sustainability. But respondents also emphasized that money alone isn’t enough; the Bank’s data, research, and policy advice were viewed as equally critical. Around 70 percent had used the World Bank’s research or data in the past three years, and 76 percent said its advice had shaped government policy in areas such as education reform, renewable energy, and agricultural risk management. Respondents praised the quality of the Bank’s knowledge products but suggested translating more material into Bangla, holding more public workshops, and covering a broader range of topics, including youth employment and digital innovation.

Building Stronger Partnerships

The survey highlighted that the Bank’s role as a long-term, responsive partner has strengthened significantly. Stakeholders rated collaboration with the national government and other donors as the most effective, while engagement with civil society and the private sector showed notable improvement. Many recommended deeper partnerships with academia, local governments, and businesses to make programs more grounded and locally driven. Respondents acknowledged examples of effective engagement, such as the Bank’s support during the Rohingya crisis and its cooperation with NGOs on maternal health and gender-based violence projects. Nearly half said the Bank had become better at fostering investment opportunities, though they warned that corruption and political instability still limit private sector growth.

Communicating for Connection

Communication and outreach remain crucial to strengthening the Bank’s relationship with the public. Stakeholders preferred learning about the Bank’s work through events and workshops, followed by its website and publications. They most wanted updates on ongoing projects and access to the Bank’s research. More than half of respondents recalled hearing about the World Bank recently, mainly through television, newspapers, and radio, with climate change and economic forecasts as the most remembered topics. The survey also revealed a clear link between awareness and trust, people who were more familiar with the Bank’s work were far more likely to view it as trustworthy and effective.

The report tells a story of progress and expectation. The World Bank is seen as a vital partner in Bangladesh’s development, trusted, effective, and increasingly engaged in the country’s evolving priorities. But it also faces a call to go further: to communicate more openly, work more closely with local actors, and ensure its global expertise continues to translate into real, sustainable change for the people of Bangladesh.