Administratief Akkoord tussen het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden en de Volksrepubliek Bangladesh inzake het project 'Char Development and Settlement Project – Bridging (Additional Financing)'

1. The two Parties shall jointly carry out a Project, entitled “Char Development and Settlement Project – Bridging (Additional Financing)”, hereinafter referred to as “the Project”.
2. The aim of the Project is the preparation of future Char Development and Settlement Programmes, the development of permanent institutional framework for such programmes and the planning, execution, supervision and monitoring of activities in the field of water management, rural infrastructure, institutional development, land-settlement, agricultural value chains, social development and gender-inclusivity.
3. The aforesaid co-operation between the two Parties is planned to last from 1 July 2019 to 30 June 2024, or shall expire on the date on which the Project has been completed in conformity with the provisions of the Administrative Arrangement and of the DPPs of the Project, whichever date is the later.

The Netherlands Party shall make an additional contribution of € 2.296.615 (top-up to accommodate the extension) on top of € 5.000.000 (the original TA budget, as concluded on 29 April 2021 and 23 May 2021), € 7.296.615 in total (seven million two hundred and ninetysix thousand six hundred and fifteen euros) in the form of grant to the Project in the following manner:
– € 2.296.615 (top-up to accommodate the extension) for Technical Assistance, through direct contracting by the Netherlands Party.
The Netherlands Party's contribution will become available on the condition that:
– The Bangladesh Party shall have approved the Development Project Proformas (DPPs) of all five participating departments (BWDB, LGED, DPHE, Forestry Department, Land); and
– The Bangladesh Water Development Board shall have appointed the Project Coordination Director.

The Bangladesh Party shall make the equivalent of US$ 24.880.000 available to the Project. The Bangladesh Party will also obtain a loan of US$ 20.600.000 from the International Fund for Agricultural Development as additional financing for the implementation of the project.

1. The Netherlands Party shall appoint the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands as the Netherlands Executive Authority in charge of the Project. The Netherlands Executive Authority shall be represented, as far as the daily operations of the Project are concerned, by the Leader of the Technical Assistance Team (being the Team Leader or in his absence the Deputy Team Leader, hereinafter referred to as “TL/DTL”).
2. The Bangladesh Party shall appoint the Bangladesh Water Development Board, as the Bangladesh Executive Authority in charge of the Project. The Bangladesh Executive Authority shall be represented, as far as the daily operations of the Project are concerned, by the Project Coordination Director.

1. The provisions of Articles IV and V of the Agreement shall be applicable to the import and export of the equipment and materials provided by the Netherlands Party as well as to the status of the said equipment and materials.
2. Without prejudice to the payment by the Bangladesh Party or the Bangladesh recipient agency of the customs duties and taxes on the equipment and materials supplied by the Netherlands Party, those customs duties and taxes are due upon the transfer of the equipment and materials to the Bangladesh Party or Bangladesh recipient agency. The Netherlands Party is in no way under an obligation to pay the customs duties or taxes.

Each of the Executive Authorities shall be entitled to delegate under its own responsibility, partly or entirely, its duties in connection with the Project to other authorities or organisations. In doing so, the Executive Authorities shall inform each other in writing of any such delegation and of the extent of the delegation.

1. The TL/DTL shall be responsible to the Netherlands Executive Authority for the proper implementation of the Netherlands contribution.
2. The TL/DTL shall act in close consultation with the Bangladesh Executive Authority and shall respect the operational instructions given by the said Authority.
3. The Bangladesh Executive Authority shall provide the TL/DTL with any information that may be considered necessary for the execution of the Project.

1. The Executive Authorities shall establish in common agreement a Schedule of Operations indicating in detail:
– the contribution of either Party;
– the number and duties of the staff appointed by each Party;
– their job-descriptions;
– the duration of their assignment;
– a time-table;
– a description of the equipment and materials to be made available.
2. The Schedule of Operations shall form an integral part of this Administrative Arrangement.
3. The Schedule of Operations may be amended in common agreement by the Executive Authorities.

The personnel supplied by the Netherlands Party shall enjoy the privileges and immunities, mentioned in the Articles II and III of the Agreement.

The TL/DTL and the Project Director shall submit to both Executive Authorities a semi-annual report (both narrative and financial) in English. The first annual report on the progress made in the execution of the Project and on the expenditure incurred by both Parties will cover the period from start until 31 December 2019. The information on the Technical Assistance (TA) budget expenditure will be shared with the Bangladesh Party. On completion of the Project, the TL/DTL and the Project Director shall submit to all parties involved a final report in English on all aspects of the work done in connection with the Project. All reports including the final report of the Project will be provided to the Bangladesh Party also.

The Executive Authorities shall have the Project reviewed through a joint Mid-Term Review mission; the timing and the Terms of Reference (ToR) of this mission will be determined by both Executive Authorities.

Any dispute concerning the interpretation or implementation of this Administrative Arrangement, which cannot be settled in consultation between both Parties shall be referred to the respective Governments and shall be settled in a way to be decided upon by the latter.

This Administrative Arrangement shall enter into force on the day of signature by both Parties with retrospective effect to 1 July 2019, and shall expire at the end of the period mentioned in Article I, paragraph 3, of this Administrative Arrangement or on the date on which the Project has been completed in conformity with the provisions of this Administrative Arrangement and of the DPPs of the Project, whichever date is the later.