DHAKA: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wednesday said the construction works of the much-talked-about Padma Bridge Project will begin in the upcoming winter season.
The bridge will be constructed with own finance if the foreign invests are not found.
The premier came up with the assertion while addressing parliament in response to a question made by lawmaker Junaed Ahmed Palak in a question-hour.
On August 27, Malaysia placed the final proposal on financing the construction of the much-talked-about Padma Multipurpose Bridge.
On October 10 in the last year, the World Bank had suspended its funding for the project following charges of corruption in river dredging, appointment of consultants and preliminary selections.
But, the government of Bangladesh rejected the allegation of corruption. Anti-Corruption Commission also did not get any evidence of corruption.
On June 30, the World Bank finally canceled a $1.2 billion credit for a Padma bridge project with immediate effect, saying it had “credible evidence” of a high-level corruption conspiracy among officials of Bangladesh government.
The World Bank earlier was to provide $$1.2-billion for construction of the Padma Bridge.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) had promised $615 million financing, Japan International Cooperation Agency $400 million and Islamic Development Bank $140 million more for the country’s longest bridge over the mighty Padma River that cuts off country’s southwest from the capital.
BDST: 1930 HRS, SEP 12, 2012
Edited by: Mohammed Humayun Kabir, Sr Newsroom Editor/ M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor / SM Salahuddin, Output Editor
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