& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Padma Loan Review

WB not happy yet

Another key figure under graft-cloud not removed

Staff Correspondent
The World Bank is still not satisfied with Bangladesh's anti-corruption move over the Padma bridge issue despite the resignation of a key minister.
On Wednesday, presidents of the WB and Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) discussed the issue in Washington, but the global lender remained uncertain whether to review its cancellation of the Padma bridge loan
agreement, sources in Dhaka said.
In its move, the government has launched an investigation into alleged graft in the Padma bridge project and had Syed Abul Hossain resign as ICT minister. However, the lender thinks Bangladesh has not yet met all its conditions.
One of the four conditions the WB had tagged with the bridge financing was that the government send on leave the senior officials and a minister accused of FROM PAGE 1
corruption in the project.
In line with the condition, the government has sent a former secretary on leave and got Abul to step down. It, however, has not made any decision about another individual who is on the WB's suspect list. The person in question enjoys the status of a minister.
In this context, the WB still has concerns about Bangladesh's intent to fight corruption, said the sources.
On Thursday, Kei Toyama, senior Jica representative in Dhaka, met Finance Minister AMA Muhith at the secretariat and informed him of the WB's latest position.
After the meeting, the finance minister told reporters, "There is nothing to give you (the media] now.” The Jica official too declined to comment.
World Bank Country Director Ellen Goldstein would not make any comment on the issue now, said an official of the bank.
The WB official also said: "We have not received any letter from the Bangladesh government saying it wants the World Bank to review its decision."
A finance ministry official said the government on Wednesday wrote to MN Prasad, an executive director representing Bangladesh at the WB, informing him of the recent developments in the country.
In the letter, the government expressed its resolve to address other WB concerns, if there were any, when formal discussions between the two parties would begin, said the official.
Another finance ministry official said, "The government will make its next move once Prasad gives the green signal.”
Meanwhile, the recent contradictory views of the finance minister and the prime minister about the construction of the bridge have been sending wrong signals to the lenders, said a source, adding that this exposes the lack of coordination within the government.
Following Abul Hossain's resignation, the finance minister in a written statement on Wednesday called for
a review of the WB decision.
Earlier, the prime minister had said the government would build the long-cherished bridge with its own resources.
The WB on June 29 cancelled its $1.2 billion financing for the 6.2-kilometre bridge over the Padma. The bridge will connect the capital with the southwestern districts.
The tenure of loan effectuation of Jica and the Asian Development Bank will expire on July 31 this year.