Japanese Ambassador Masayuki Inoue conveyed this offer of his country during a meeting with Health and Family Welfare Advisor Major General (Retd) Dr ASM Matiur Rahman at his office in the city yesterday.

The envoy said under the project, Japan will construct three buildings--nursing school and college, student dormitory, and faculties' residential building.

This will include provision of equipment and furniture for the three buildings and provision of power generator and safe water supply facility for the whole complex.

The estimated cost of the project is Tk 100 to Tk 150 crore.

The nursing school and the college will be a leading model to stimulate the existing nursing schools nation-wide. In addition to, training courses for nursing teachers will be available.

The government of Bangladesh will select the land for the project in the capital area and prepare a project proposal through the ERD by the end of July this year. The nursing school and college is expected to get in operation by 2010.

Matiur Rahman said lack of nurses is one of the most serious problems in health sector in Bangladesh. In such a situation, this grant assistance of Japan will have a tremendous contribution to our health sector, he added.

Like that of nurses we have acute shortage of paramedics, said the adviser adding that so, Japan as a real friend of Bangladesh may also provide grant assistance for establishing such a school for paramedics.