BANGLADESH NEWS
No representative of the World Bank was present as Finance Minister AMA Muhith told development partners that there has not been any corruption in the Padma bridge project and that the government showed zero tolerance to corruption regarding the project.
In a meeting with the Local Consultative Group (LCG)-a joint body of the government and the representatives of the local development partners, Muhith quoting an international lawyer told the donors that the government position regarding the WB allegation was right.
However, the development partners welcomed the government’s zero tolerance to corruption and said they also show zero tolerance to graft and will observe the government stance in this regard.
The WB on June 29 cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the project on grounds that it had evidence of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and private individuals.
After Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the finance minister in lengthy speeches in the parliament presented the government position regarding the WB statement, on Monday at the LCG meeting the government formally presented the official position to the donors.
However, though there has been huge stir over the WB’s allegation no representative of the organization was present at the meeting held at the National Economic Council (NEC) auditorium at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar.
Asked about whether any WB representative attended the meeting, ERD Secretary Iqbal Mahmood did not give any reply. However, a WB official told that in the LCG meetings the WB is represented by its Country Director Ellen Goldstein but as she is now in Washington none from the organization was present at the meeting.
The official also said, Goldstein herself oversaw the Padma bridge project. That is why no other official was delegated to the meeting.
However, a high official of the ERD said in absence of the country director any WB official could represent her in the meeting. He said in the past, other officials attended such meetings in absence of Goldstein.
The official also said may be WB Dhaka office did not send any representative to the meeting complying with any instruction from the Bank’s headquarters in Washington.
UN Resident Coordinator and LCG Co-chair Neal Walker represented the development partners while ERD Secretary Iqbal Mahmood represented the government at the meeting.
After the meeting, the finance minister told reporters that he has urged the development partners to judge for themselves about the World Bank’s issuance of open press statement on its cancellation of Padma bridge funding on graft allegations.
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