Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday said the Padma bridge construction will begin within this government’s tenure whether the World Bank gives fund or not.
“We have already asked the Bangladesh Army, Buet and Bridges Division to complete a fresh need-based design for the bridge within six months. Then we will begin the construction,” sources quoted Hasina as saying during a meeting of Awami League Parliamentary Party at the Jatiya Sangsad.
After cancellation of the loan agreement by the World Bank on charge of “conspiracy of corruption” in the project, it has become uncertain whether the global lender will come up with the fund.
Earlier, Hasina, also the ruling Awami League president, said they would look for alternative sources of project funding if the World Bank does not give a decision by this month.
About alternative sources, she told her party deputies at the meeting that her government will get grants of $200 million and it has received proposals from China and Malaysia, AL MP Shahiduzzaman Sarker told The Daily Star later.
A source has told this paper that $200m of $1 billion line of credit from India has been converted into grant. The government might use the money for Padma bridge construction.
The World Bank cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the $2.9 billion project on June 29, saying it had credible evidence of corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and some private individuals.
On the World Bank’s allegation, the PM said when Syed Abul Hossain was the communications minister, an agent of Canadian firm SNC Lavalin went to meet him.
If it was a corruption then former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury, the local agent of the Canadian company, should also be blamed, Hasina said at the meeting.
Both Hasan and Hossain will be arrested if probe finds something against them, AL MP Sadhan Chandra Majumder quoted Hasina as saying.
About the next parliamentary elections, the PM said it must be held before January 25, 2014.
She also said, “We will not allow any questionable election. If any of my MPs tries to interfere, the election in that area will be stopped.”
Sheikh Hasina reiterated that the next parliamentary polls will be held in the way the other democratic countries arrange their national polls. He cited instances of elections in the US and the UK, said AL MP Israfil Alam while talking to The Daily Star.
The PM also lauded the formation and functions of the current Election Commission, Israfil said adding that she also urged party lawmakers to make public the government’s success stories.
About the upazila elections, Hasina said polls to this local government bodies will be held after the parliamentary polls.
Warning her party MPs, Hasina said she has all information about what lawmakers are doing in their areas. “I am not running the country while sleeping. I have all information about your activities. MPs with bad records will not get nominations for the next polls.”
She urged the lawmakers to campaign to drum up public support for the ongoing trial of war criminals.
A number of AL MPs including Amir Hossain Amu, Tofail Ahmed, Suranjit Sengupta and Abdul Latif Siddiqui at the meeting urged the AL chief to take measures to strengthen the party network across the country.
They said it would be difficult to win the polls only by development activities, meeting sources said.
Source: The Daily Star
