Reiterating her government’s firm stance to construct the Padma Bridge with its own fund, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday said there was a political game over financing of the country’s largest-ever bridge project.
“There was a game over the Padma Bridge, it was nothing, but a political game,” she said while formally inaugurating the 55th Convention of the Institution of Engineers, Bangladesh (IEB) at city’s IEB Bhaban premises.
Reaffirming her resolve to build the bridge with the country’s own resources, Sheikh Hasina said, “We’ve decided to construct the bridge with our own resources.”
The Prime Minister stressed the importance of making the country self-reliant to build the nation as a dignified one at the global stage.
In 2011, the government had signed an agreement with the World Bank under which the global lending agency was supposed to provide US $1.2 billion, which was later increased to US$ 2.0 billion. But the World Bank later scrapped the deal over an allegation of corruption conspiracy in appointing consultants.
After that setback, the government announced to construct the 6.15-km long bridge with its own resources.
At that time China and Malaysia had also offered to construct the bridge, but the government did not accept their proposals.
Source: UNBConnect
