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Govt to seek WB help for ACC probe

Anti-graft body awaits a response to its letter from lead financier of Padma Bridge project

Rejaul Karim Byron
Finance Minister AMA Muhith will soon write to the World Bank asking it to provide the Anti-Corruption Commission with any evidence regarding allegations of corruption in the bidding process of the Padma Bridge project.
The World Bank has temporarily halted its $ 1.2 billion loan for building the country's longest bridge amid allegations of corruption in the bidding process.
The World Bank's move is delaying the $2.9 billion project, prompting concern in
the government and giving rise to public criticism. The government had hoped to build the 6.15-kilometre bridge by 2014 to connect Dhaka with the southwestern region.
"The World Bank is deliberately delaying the construction of the Padma Bridge by raising illogical excuses,” said Kazi Shafikur Rahman, a leader of Sushasoner Jonno Procharavijan (Supro), a rights group, during a human chain programme outside the National Musueum.
In a letter last week to the Integrity Vice
Presidency (INT), the WB's independent arm which investigates corruption, the ACC asked for documents and information on the project.
Under the rules, the INT will cooperate with the ACC only after receiving a formal request from either the finance minister or the Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary, a finance ministry official told The Daily Star yesterday.
The World Bank has recendy written to the government about alleged corruption in the project, but the details were not made public.
However, in an e-mail reply yesterday to a query from The Daily Star, World Bank Country Director in Bangladesh Ellen Goldstein said, "We will not proceed until we are fully satisfied on the fraud and corruption front.”
"This is in the interest of the people of Bangladesh,” she said.
Bangladesh officials said the government would act only on the basis of the ACC investigation. To make the
ACC probe report acceptable to all parties, the finance minister is seeking the bank's cooperation
Farrukh Ahmed, director general of the ACC, told a press conference yesterday that the World Bank was yet to reply to its request for evidence. The ACC will conduct its probe on the basis of the WB1 s documents relating to the allegations.
The World Bank conveyed its decision about halting the loan in a letter to Muhith during his visit to Washington to attend the WB's annual meeting last month.
Finance ministry sources have said the WB has recommended an investigation into the graft allegations and bringing about a change at the high level of the communications ministry.
On his return from Washington, the finance minister held a meeting with the prime minister. They have decided to issue a written statement through a press conference explaining the government's stand on the subject. It was also decided that the government would convey its posi-
tion to the WB as well.
Officials said the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) had been working on preparing the statement.
The government has decided against making any changes at the top level of the communications ministry merely on the perceived allegations of corruption. It, however, understands that such action is politically sensitive for the government, the finance ministry officials said.
In her e-mail reply to The Daily Star, the World Bank country director said: 'The World Bank is committed to good governance and anticorruption issues. As we have said from the outset, we will not proceed until we are fully satisfied on the fraud and corruption front. This is in the interests of the people of Bangladesh. We can confirm that our Vice President for South Asia has recently visited Bangladesh where she met with the Prime Minister and raised concerns about investigations regarding the Padma Bridge Project. Their dialogue is ongoing.”