8 July 2018

Jagannath Sinhamahapatra
Director, Nutan Bidyut (Bangladesh) Limited
B&B Empire, 7th Floor, Plot 116, Block-E
Banani, Dhaka - 1213, Bangladesh
Tel: +88-02-9890055
Email: j.sinhamahapatra@nutanbidyut.com

Copy to: Prakash Bajoria

Project Team Leader/Private Sector Investment Operations Specialist
Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
B-9 Financial St., Xicheng District, Beijing, China 100033
Tel: +86-10-83580145; Fax: +86-10-83580909
Email: prakash.bajoria@aiib.org

Rayyan Hassan
Executive Director, NGO Forum on ADB
85-A Masikap Extension, Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
Phone: +632 436 1858, Fax: +632 921 4412
Email: secretariat@forum-adb.org

Subject: Request for a copy of updated

Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMP) for Bangladesh Bhola IPP

Dear Mr. Sinhamahapatra

Greetings from Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED), a civil society group
consisting environmental and social activists of Bangladesh to advocate with stakeholders for
ensuring social, environmental and human rights of the project affected communities.

The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) is financing USD 60 million - loan for the
Bangladesh Bhola Integrated Power Plant (IPP) Project while Nutan Bidyut Bangladesh
Limited is identified as the Borrower for the said Project. According to AIIB’s Environment and
Social Framework (ESF),

“The Bank requires the Client to ensure that relevant information about
environmental and social risks and impacts of the Project is made available in the
Project area in a timely and accessible manner, and in a form and languages
(s) understandable to the Project – affected peoples, other stakeholders and the
general public, so the can provide meaningful inputs into the design and
implementation of the Project… The Bank requires the Client to disclose in the
same manner on a regular basis any updates information, along with
information on any material changes in the Project (para. 57) [Note: Emphasis
supplied].

Based from the available project documents in AIIB’s website, the following has been disclosed in
English:

1. Project Summary Information with no date;

Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt (BWGED)

clean.khulna@gmail.com | bwged@googlegroups.com | bwged.blogspot.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/bwged/
 2. Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of 225 MW Dual Fuel (Gas and HSD
based) Combined Cycle Power Pant (Bhola – II), Bangladesh Annexures to the Final
Report dated March 2017; and
3. ESIA of 225 MW Dual Fuel (Gas and HSD) Combined Power Plant (Bhola – II), Updated
Final Report dated January 2018.

In view of the foregoing, we are requesting for the following:

1. Translation of the relevant project information particularly the Environment and Social
Management Plan and its corresponding annexes into Bengali as provided by AIIB’s ESF
(para 57);

2. In reference to the Annexes which detail the project concerns and the corresponding
mitigation measures and/or proposed entitlements, we would also like to clarify if there
are updated annexes as the Final Report (January 2018) do not include these. However
the list of annexes provided under the ESMP can be found in the earlier March 2017
report. The information provided in these annexes is critical in our assessment and
engagement with the potentially project – affected persons as this pertain to the
following:
a. Annex X1: Stakeholder Engagement Plan;
b. Annex X2: Resettlement Framework;
c. Annex X3: Gender Action Plan; and
d. Annex X4: Labour and Influx Management Plan.

3. Lastly, we have learned from the NGO Forum on ADB in its meeting with the AIIB’s Senior
Development Office Mr. Somnath Basu last 24 May 2018 in the AIIB Headquarters that an
Environmental and Social Action Plan is currently being drafted. Furthermore a
consultant will be hired to address the environmental and livelihood issues identified. We
would also like to follow – up for any progress in this regard.

On behalf of the BWGED I am hoping for your positive response on these information requests,
as we remain committed in monitoring the Bhola IPP Project and engaging with the project-
affected persons to ensure that their rights and livelihoods will be protected.

Thank you.

Sincerely yours,

Hasan Mehedi
Focal Point, Bangladesh Working Group on External Debt
Contact: CLEAN, 1 Mallickbari Road, Boyra-Rayrmahal
Khulna 9000, Bangladesh
Phone: +8801716702006
Email: clean.khulna@gmail.com