Visiting World Bank Managing Director Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala said in Dhaka on Monday the bank is ready to provide necessary assistance, including financial aid, to Bangladesh for improving the living standard of the country's slum dwellers.

"What I've seen today (is that) the people have no access to necessary health facilities, education and electricity. I've seen a lot of children who are not in school, this is really the biggest problem. If the government is willing, then the World Bank will come up with all types of cooperation," Iweala was quoted by private news agency UNB as saying.

Iweala said the children need to have schools for education, " Otherwise Bangladesh will waste its potential generation."

She had a meeting with the slum dwellers in Dhaka during the visit when the people complained to her about their various problems, including lack of education and health services, serious accommodation crisis.

"The government needs to help the poor people to secure places where they can live in. We can work with the government to find solutions to the existing problems," she said.

Iweala arrived in Bangladesh Sunday on a four-day visit to provide an in-depth view on key challenges facing the country.

(Xinhua News Agency March 18, 2008)