Johannes Zutt, the newly appointed Vice President of the World Bank for the South Asia Region, has arrived in Dhaka on a four-day official visit—his first overseas engagement since assuming the role on 1 July.
According to a press release issued by the World Bank’s Dhaka office, Zutt is scheduled to meet with the Chief Adviser of the Interim Government, Finance Adviser, Bangladesh Bank Governor, and other senior officials, as well as private sector representatives during his stay.
The visit marks a return to familiar ground for Zutt, a Dutch national who previously served as the World Bank’s Country Director for Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal from 2013 to 2015.
“I have very fond memories of Bangladesh, its people, and the friendships I have made there,” Zutt said in the statement. “I was always impressed by the resilience and creativity of the Bangladeshi people and their determination to build a better future for their children.”
Reflecting on the decade since his previous tenure, he added, “I look forward to returning to Bangladesh to see firsthand the transformative changes that have been achieved. The World Bank remains committed to helping Bangladesh maintain a sustainable and inclusive growth path and create more and better jobs for the two million youths entering the job market every year.”
Zutt has held several leadership roles since joining the World Bank in 1999, most recently as Country Director for Brazil. He also served as Director for Strategy, Results, Risk and Learning within the Bank’s Operational Policy and Country Services Vice Presidency, and as Country Director for Türkiye, Comoros, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Seychelles, and Somalia.
The World Bank has been a longstanding development partner of Bangladesh, having committed about $46 billion since the country’s independence—mostly through grants and concessional financing. Bangladesh currently holds one of the largest ongoing portfolios supported by the Bank’s International Development Association (IDA).