A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to this effect has been signed between Australia and the WFP recently, said a press release of Australian High Commission here yesterday.

Australian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Lorraine Barker and WFP Representative Douglas Casson Coutts signed the MoU on behalf of their sides.

This amount complements the approximately 500,000 Australian dollars that Australia will provide WFP to manage multilateral contribution to Bangladesh of approximately 20,000 tonnes of food in the current fiscal year.

WFP, the largest distributor of food aid in Bangladesh, expects to handle over 300,000 tonnes of food aid in 2003-2004.

Australia is the largest contributor to WFP's country programme in Bangladesh, contributing approximately 65,00 mt this financial year.

Under a bilateral arrangement signed with the government of Bangladesh on October 9 last year, Australia provided 45,000 tonnes of wheat for 2003-2004.

The wheat is being utilised for the vulnerable group development programme, the integrated security programme and the school feeding programme. Australia's bilateral contribution assists the ultra-poor in the northwestern region of Bangladesh.