"Bangladesh has the capacity to find its own path to more rapid and inclusive development," he said, assuring of World Bank's support for reforms.

"The World Bank stands ready to support reforms in Bangladesh that speed this goal, not just with financing, but by offering expertise and analyses," he said, marking the release of the February '07 issue of the bank's electronic Newsletter yesterday.

Xian said the commitment of Bangladeshis has been rewarded by the country's sustained economic growth during the past decade and by the remarkable strides the country has made in many areas such as health, education and poverty reduction.

Xian said a measure of this progress is the way in which the country seems to be on track to meet several of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

He said the bank's report on MDGs outlines the country's successes but also points to ways in which the more difficult MDGs, in areas such as maternal health and child nutrition, can be advanced.

"It's not just a question of resources, but of increasing the accountability and transparency of public service provision so ordinary people receive the services they need and are entitled to," he said.

Xian said the report also highlighted the need to provide better quality services to the rapidly growing urban population, who often find themselves without healthcare, education and sanitation.

He said the World Bank's support for water and sanitation projects in Dhaka and Chittagong are one way in which this can be achieved.

"Increased transparency and accountability of public services would enable Bangladesh to reach most of its Millennium Development Goals," said a World Bank report released earlier this month.

Bangladesh has already made significant progress in attaining the MDGs; a set of UN-devised targets to cut world poverty in half by 2015, most notably by increasing gender parity in education and cutting infant mortality rates, it said.

However, to make further strides an effective partnership is needed among the central government, service providers, local government and communities, said the report.

"If these kind of reforms are implemented, even the more difficult targets such as those related to maternal mortality and child malnutrition can be attained."