Padma Bridge graft

ACC calls urgent meeting Sunday

DHAKA: Anti Corruption Commission has called an urgent meeting on Sunday over the irregularities in appointing a consultant firm for supervising the Padma Bridge project.

ACC Chairman Golam Rahman took the decision after discussing the matter with the higher officials over mobile phone on Saturday.

ACC commissioner, directors and higher officials is likely to sit in the meeting over the investigation progress.

Several ACC sources confirmed this to banglanews.

Sources said ACC would also fix time for the probe committee to submit progress report.

The World Bank on Friday 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.

“In light of the inadequate response by the government of Bangladesh, the World Bank has decided to cancel its $1.2 billion---credit in support of the Padma multipurpose bridge project, effective immediately,” the World Bank said in a statement.

On October 10 last, the World Bank suspended funding $ 1.2 billion for the Padma Bridge project amid allegations of irregularities with it.

The World Bank earlier had promised to provide the fund to Bangladesh for constructing the 6.15-km Padma Bridge.

Besides, the Asian Development Bank is also committed to providing $ 615 million, while Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) $ 400 million and the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) $ 140 million for building the gigantic bridge.

BDST: 1045 HRS, July 1, 2012

Edited by: Shahin Afroz, Newsroom Editor
Maria Salam, Asst Output Editor