The Bank is contemplating extending grant alongside loan to Bangladesh on the basis of the assessment, sources said. It will, however, emphasise a long-term flood mitigation programme in its new country assistance strategy.

Fourteen members of the mission will come from its headquarters in Washington and the mission will draw representatives from as many departments of the Bank including infrastructure, water and sanitation, health, agriculture, macro-economy and education.

The mission will work with the ministries concerned and take field visits to check out the damage assessment data of the government in the health, sanitation, education and agriculture sectors, among others.

It will also analyse the damages to the private sector and the possible fallout on macro-economy before designing programmes and projects to help the government in its post-flood rehabilitation efforts.

The Bank is mulling over a three-pronged strategy to help out the government in the rebuilding programme by diverting funds from the ongoing projects to the need sectors and extending fresh loans or grants, according to sources.

The Bank pumped some $200 million into the rehabilitation programme after the 1998 deluge.

The mission will also try to identify programmes Bangladesh needs to tackle the flooding on a long-term basis, which will be reflected on the new country assistance strategy.

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) will also embark on a damage assessment by this month, according to sources. An official of the ADB's Dhaka office said they are in talks with the World Bank on a joint assessment and a decision is likely by next week.