Sagar Biswas :
The ruling party bigwigs and senior government officials have made sharp reactions after the Canadian court dismissed the “corruption charge” finding no solid proof in getting construction contract of the Padma Bridge in Bangladesh.
Prime Minister’s son Sajeeb Wazed Joy on Saturday expressed dissatisfaction over the issue. In a Facebook status he asked the “persons” to seek apology from Bangladesh who had tried to tarnish the country’s image based on a false corruption charge.
“The World Bank came up with this plot against my mother, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s government in an attempt to discredit her. Then US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had instructed the World Bank to cancel the funding of the Padma Bridge in order to punish our Government. She did so because Mohammed Yunus was repeatedly asking her to take action against my mother.” “I myself was contacted several times during that episode by US State Department officials conveying threats from Hillary Clinton against our Government if we did not back off Yunus,” he said in the Facebook.
Earlier on Friday, the much-publicized corruption case of Padma Bridge project involving former top executives from SNC-Lavalin dismissed by a Toronto court in Canada after a judge rejected all evidence in this connection, according to Toronto Star.
Against this backdrop, Joy further said: “The Canadian court trying the Padma Bridge corruption case has found no evidence of corruption in the project and dismissed all charges. The court stated that the evidence was based on “gossip and rumour”. In other words, it was made up.”
“…..a section of our so called civil society immediately took sides against our country in favour of the World Bank. They dragged the reputation of several highly respected, people through the mud, such as former adviser Dr. Mashiur Rahman,” he said.
Asking to seek apology, Joy said: “They also owe Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, her Awami League Government and all the people whose reputation they hurt an apology. Indeed they owe Bangladesh an apology.”
The Global money lender World Bank in a press release published on Saturday said: “The WB takes allegations of fraud and corruption impacting its bank-financed projects very seriously. Once a WB investigation is concluded, we share findings with national authorities to determine whether or not there was a violation of national legislations.”
In this regard, former Foreign Minister and Joint General Secretary of Awami League Dr Dipu Moni said: “The judgment of Canadian court proves that Hasina’s government believes in honesty in all works. And it also ensures transparency and accountability in all development projects. It is now proved that, there was an international conspiracy targeting the Padma Bridge project.”
PM’s Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman on Saturday said the Bangladeshis who had contributed to flaring up the issue of the alleged corruption in the Padma bridge project should apologize. “These people should at least admit their mistake to the PM and apologize,” he said.
Expressing his annoyance, Senior Secretary of Ministry of Industries Md Mosharraf Hossain said the judgment of court proved that there was no corruption in the project. “When I was Secretary of Setu Division, two giant money lenders, including WB, showed interest to finance in Padma Bridge project. But a vested quarter gave false information to WB with an ill intention to halt the project,” he said.
Interestingly, the Transparency International Executive Director Dr Iftekheruzzaman has made a reverse turn over the issue. “The government must seek explanation from the WB why it had stopped financing in Padma Bridge project before proving corruption charge.”
BNP General Secretary Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir on Saturday said that his party was vocal against an allegation of corruption in Padma Bridge project and it was not their affairs what has been proved or not.
“We had never made any comment about trial in Canada court. Our stance was on allegation of corruption. And it is the reality that the WB had stopped funding to the project on corruption allegation,” he said.
Meanwhile, several AL leaders, including Organizing Secretaries Md Abdur Rahman, Abu Syed Al Mahmud Swapan,, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Muhibul Hasan Chowdhury Nowfel and Forest and Environment Secretary Delawar Hossain asked the “conspirators” to seek apology.
