At a ceremony at the Embassy of Sweden Dhaka an agreement between Sida, the Swedish International Cooperation Agency (Sida) and International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, icddr,b, was signed. The agreement will provide the Dhaka-based public health research institution with SEK 54 million ($8 million) worth of institutional support and research funding from 2012 to 2015.

Signing on behalf of Sida, Ms. Karin Rohlin, Head of Development Cooperation and Deputy Head of Mission at the Embassy of Sweden said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with icddr,b; an institution that has made significant contributions to improving the health of the poor people of Bangladesh".

"Sida has been a firm friend of icddrb's for over 30 years," added icddr,b's Interim Executive Director, Dr. Abbas Bhuiya, who signed the agreement on behalf of icddr,b. "We are very grateful to Sida, and to the Swedish people, for their continued support".