New minister attaches utmost priority to Padma Bridge work

FE Report The dialogue with the World Bank (WB) on the country's mega Padma Bridge project is likely to resume after the new communications minister Obaidul Quader took over the ministry yesterday (Wednesday) with a vow to start the Padma Bridge work on priority basis. The new communications minister was talking to journalists at his office in the morning and singled out the priority projects of his ministry, of which starting the construction of the Padma Bridge remained at the top. World Bank country director Ellen Goldstein also made a courtesy call on the communications minister at his office in the afternoon, few hours after Obaidul Quader assumed the charge of the ministry. Though details of the meeting could not be known immediately, ministry officials hoped that the talks meant the Padma Bridge project was "moving forward" after over three months' silence. However, in a statement to the FE, the World Bank country director referred to the meeting's discussion but refrained from commenting on the Padma Bridge.'The meeting with the new Minister for the Communications was a courtesy call. It was an introductory meeting to begin exchanging views as part of the ongoing dialogue," said the country director in the statement after the meeting. She said, "The discussion will continue further after I return from my upcoming trip to headquarter at Washington DC." The US$ 3.0 billion Padma Multipurpose Bridge project has been in limbo since September, when the World Bank suspended its part of the $1.2 billion funding on the grounds of alleged 'involvement' of the earlier minister Syed Abul Hossain's firm in the scheme as a silent agent in the main bidding process for the bridge. The Bank, the coordinating agency of the multi-donor Padma Bridge Project, opted for an investigation by its Integrity Vice Presidency in September and wanted an action stemming from its stance of 'zero tolerance of corruption' in the country's most priority project. During the last three months, the finance minister tried to keep the dialogue with World Bank going in order to weather the financing crisis. Competent sources said in the absence of finding any solution from the finance minister's efforts, Adviser to the Prime Minister -- Dr Mashiur Rahman, and Bangladesh Bank governor Atiur Rahman also kept the dialogue going with the World Bank. Obaidul Quader has been inducted into the cabinet on November 28 along with Suranjit Sengupata. Mr Quader was appointed the minister of the trouble-torn communications ministry, while Mr Suranjit the minister for Railway. Communications minister Obaidul Quader said that he would work sincerely maintaining transparency. "I will never make money illegally," he told reporters at his office.