An unidentified person has donated $130 million to help rebuild hundreds of schools and storm shelters destroyed by a cyclone along Bangladesh's southwest coast, the government said Wednesday.
The anonymous donation was made through the Saudi Arabia-based Islamic Development Bank, said senior finance ministry official Aminul Islam Bhuiyan, describing it as the single largest donation ever made by an individual to Bangladesh.
Bhuiyan said the donor could not be identified because of the bank's confidentiality rules. He said there was no special cyclone relief fund set up at the Islamic Development Bank.
"It's great news for the millions of cyclone-hit people," Bhuiyan said after meeting a team of bank officials visiting Bangladesh to discuss how the money would be spent.
Much of the money would go toward building about 500 schools and storm shelters, he said.
Tropical Cyclone Sidr struck Bangladesh's southwest coast on Nov. 15, leaving more than 3,300 people dead and tens of thousands homeless.
Bangladesh has sought $2 billion in foreign aid to rebuild homes, schools and embankments. It has received about $500 million, including the latest donation, officials said.
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