When Bangladesh became independent in December 1971, it turned to the international community for assistance to shore up the Tuined economy and to usher in "development" at last. The Government and foreign donors quickly made water development their main focus. As a result, over 15 years till 1987, water alone bought in U$ 1.023 billion worth of external assistance.
In 1964, the then Government of Pakistan had embarked on an ambitious Water Master Plan, which included 63 major flood control and irrigation projects. The assistance sought was from the World Bank. The control over water development thus conceded to international donors was a feature which was carried over to independent Bangladesh.
The Government of Bangladesh exercises little control over foreign aid in general, and clearly this is even mere true in water resources. There is no perspective plan for the development of the water sector and the aid agencies are free to implement their own individual policies. Today, Dhaka´s water bureaucracy functions largely under external dictates of several donor agencies. This had led to piecemeal and haphazard planning, and the formulation and implementation of projects without the concurrence of the communities whose life rhythms are affected.
GIVING AND RECEIVING
Why is aid given to the water sector at all? There as no uniform policy either of the government or of the donors. Even though the donors function under different mandates, they all cluster around the water. Looking at the work definitions of the agencies hardly helps to understand why they do what they do. The aim of external assistance in Bangladesh is said to be to promote poverty alleviation, self-reliance, socio-economic development and transfer of technology. Apparently, the overwhelming focus on water is geared towards fulfilling these goals. The fact that water projects invariably have dealt with high-cost structural solutions might or might not have to do with the attraction this sector holds for donors and consultants.