Padma graft allegation has no basis : Mashiur

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman on Saturday claimed that the allegation of corruption in the Padma Bridge project is 'unfounded', reports UNB. "The allegation of corruption in the Padma Bridge project was made based on a fake issue. The World Bank, Canadian government and even the media who are vocal on the issue have so far failed to provide any evidence of corruption in this regard," he said. Mashiur said this while taking part as a panelist in BBC Bangladesh Sanglap held at the Bangla Academy auditorium in the city. Three other panelists were former minister and BNP chairperson's adviser Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury, Managing Director of Eastern Bank Ltd Ali Reza Iftekhar and country director of ActionAid Farah Kabir. BBC journalist Akbar Hossain moderated the programme. Mashiur Rahman claimed that the World Bank did not provide Bangladesh with any document in connection with the graft allegation. "Bangladesh sought documents to the Canadian government but they didn' t give it. They said that they wouldn't give it until the start of the trial in their country." He also said the corruption allegation in the project was made based on pages of a diary. "But no one has seen the diary. Even, the media who are vocal on the issue failed to publish it. It can't be said that corruption took place before producing any evidence." One audience asked the panelists whether the government had no failure during its four-year tenure as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina only highlighted the government's success in her address to the nation on Friday. Terming the present one 'tenure of pride' as the country registered 6.5 percent growth rates and discrimination has decreased, the PM's adviser said the government has no mentionable failure. Amir Khasru Mahmud Chowdhury said, "I have not seen success of the government in any sector; rather it failed to deliver in all the sectors. The government has failed to establish the rule of law while the law-and-order situation has deteriorated and the administration politicised."