Akio Arai, Resident Representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and M Emdadul Haque, deputy secretary of Economic Relations Division (ERD) signed the agreement on behalf of their respective side.

The objective of the project is to improve the health status of women of reproductive age and the neonates. The project is designed to improve the availability and utilisation of quality services in Narsingdi for women during their pregnancy and delivery.

Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will bear the overall responsibility of the project. Considering the health and poverty indicators, Narsingdi district has been selected as a 'target area' of the project. The total cost of the project will be Tk30 crore. The number of Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCVs) will be increased in the district after the project will start. This project will start in July this year and end in June, 2010. JICA has a plan to disseminate the project's experience and lesson learnt to other districts in the future.