Bangladesh urges World Bank to release funds for bridge
July 26th, 2012 - 7:28 pm ICT by IANSDhaka, July 26 (IANS) Bangladesh has urged the World Bank to release funds for a stalled 10-km bridge across the Padma river in the country, an official said Thursday.
The government sent a letter Wednesday to the bank’s headquarters in the US after the bank cancelled the funding over graft charges, a finance ministry official said requesting anonymity, Xinhua reported.
He said letters have also been sent to co-financiers Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency, requesting them to continue funding for the project.
The 10-km-long multipurpose bridge over Padma river, one of the major rivers in the country, is estimated to cost $3 billion.
The bridge was expected to enhance regional trade.
He said Dhaka has met all the requirements of the World Bank, the main financier.
The bank last month cancelled its $1.2 billion funding, saying it had “credible evidence corroborated by a variety of sources which points to a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladeshi officials and individuals in connection with the Padma project.”
Bangladesh hopes the World Bank would review its decision positively as a cabinet minister also resigned to meet the Washington-based lander’s conditions.
–Indo-Asian news Service
snb/vt
- Bangladesh to fund Padma bridge project - Jul 09, 2012
- World Bank cancels credit for Bangladesh bridge project - Jun 30, 2012
- Big Japanese aid for Bangladesh bridge - Nov 30, 2010
- Bangladesh gets $1.2bn World Bank loan for bridge - Apr 28, 2011
- World Bank to support Bangladesh river project - Sep 21, 2012
- World Bank launches $6.1 bn support programme for Bangladesh - Sep 15, 2010
- Bangladesh invites pre-qualification bids for Padma bridge - Apr 21, 2010
- Dhaka approves $7 bn for development projects - May 20, 2012
- Bangladesh, China sign deal for bridge - Jan 04, 2012
- Dhaka engages consultant for 5.58 km bridge over Padma - Jan 30, 2009
- An Indian bridge to boost neighbourhood trade - Aug 23, 2012
- IMF to give $1 bn loan to Bangladesh - Apr 13, 2012
- Three East Asian economies reach out to Bangladesh - Jul 09, 2010
- Malaysia to fund Bangladesh bridge project - Feb 05, 2012
- Bangladesh foreign currency reserves up - May 02, 2012
Tags: anonymity, asian development bank, asian news, cabinet minister, corruption, credible evidence, dhaka, finance ministry official, financier, financiers, graft charges, indo, international cooperation agency, japan international cooperation agency, lander, padma river, regional trade, snb, world bank, xinhua