Bangladesh is among the WorldBank's largest International Development Association(IDA) eligible borrowers, with a country portfolio of 21active projects and net commitment of $1.9 billion as ofFY08. The Bank's strategy has been to supportgovernment efforts to improve governance as a cross-cuttinggoal, while also improving the investment climate andempowering the poor. IDA's strategy for Bangladesh andits program during the period 2001-08 were relevant to thecountry's development needs, including improvinggovernance and promoting structural reforms in order toconsolidate gains in macroeconomic performance, exports,education, and health, and improve the prospects forsuccessful future development. Bank assistance during theFY01-08 period was delivered under the FY01 and FY06 CountryAssistance Strategies (CASs) and the FY03 CAS progressreport. These largely reflected the Bank's search formore effective support for Bangladesh's efforts tosustain and enhance development, even as success inincreasing exports and workers' remittances reduced thecountry's dependence on foreign assistance, and asawareness increased that governance issues needed to beaddressed more broadly.