BNP standing committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Thursday said the ‘unprecedented’ corruption committed by the government in the Padma Bridge project has been proved with the debarment of SNC-Lavalin Inc by the World Bank.
“Corruption in the Padma Bridge (project) was an unprecedented incident. The country’s image was badly tainted globally due to the graft. The government dismissed the corruption allegation which the World Bank had raised in the beginning,” Mosharraf told a protest rally at the National Press Club.
“Today, I came to know that the World Bank has debarred the SNC-Lavalin for 10 years because of its corruption in the bridge project. The debarment proved that corruption had been committed,” he added.
Khilgaon thana unit of BNP arranged the rally demanding the release of the party’s arrested leaders and activists, including its standing committee member Mirza Abbas, and withdrawal of ‘false’ cases filled against them.
The World Bank Group has announced the debarment of SNC-Lavalin Inc and its over 100 affiliates for a decade following the company’s misconduct in relation to the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project as well as misconduct under another Bank-financed project.
SNC-Lavalin’s misconduct involved a conspiracy to pay bribes and misrepresentations when bidding for Bank-financed contracts in violation of the World Bank’s procurement guidelines.
At the rally, Khandaker Mosharraf accused the government of conspiring to cling to power, and said, “They (govt) are showing fascist attitudes towards the opposition only to stay in office.”
Calling upon the government to return to the right track of democracy, the BNP policymaker said, “You’re going to deviate from the path of democracy……get back on the right path. Forget grabbing power through the backdoor. In the past, people had proved that no one can assume office using muscle power.”
Blaming the government for trying to hold a lopsided poll, the former minister warned that the consequence of doing that will not be good.
Chaired by president of Khilgaon thana unit of BNP Md Yunus Mridha, the programme was addressed, among others, by BNP standing committee member MK Anwar, its education affairs secretary Khairul Kabir Khokon and general secretary of Jatiyatabadi Mohila Dal Shirin Sultana.
Source: UNB Connect