PM among 3 charged with graft by WB : Fakhrul
Wednesday, 11 July 2012
BNP acting secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir claimed Tuesday that the Prime Minister is among the three against whom the World Bank (WB) has brought graft allegations in the Padma Bridge project, reports UNB.
"You (Govt) make public the letters sent by the World Bank to prove that you aren't involved in corruption," he told a discussion titled 'Corruption before Padma Bridge Construction, Fund Cancellation by World Bank; Bangladesh in Economic Crisis and Violation of Human Rights' at the National Press Club.
Fakhrul said the WB has brought the graft charges against three specific persons --, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and former Communications Minister Abul Hossain.
He asked the government to step down on moral ground shouldering the full responsibility for the corruption.
Opposing the PM's plan to construct the Padma Bridge with own fund, he said Sheikh Hasina is speaking about constructing the bridge with own fund only to hide her involvement in the corruption.
Winding up her speech at the 13th session of the 9th parliament, Sheikh Hasina revealed in parliament her government's plan for the construction of the mega project with own fund.
According to the plan, the construction work on the bridge would start in the current fiscal year and complete within fiscal year 2015-16 at a cost of Tk 23,000 crore.
She laid out the roadmap as the World Bank annulled a $1.2 billion credit for the Padma Bridge project recently, saying it has "credible evidence" of a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladesh government officials.
Fakhrul alleged the government has resorted to various dirty tricks to make people confused and divert their attention from the Padma Bridge graft.
Referring to Sheik Hasina's speech in parliament, the BNP leader said, "Her gesture and posture while delivering the speech about the Padma Bridge graft manifested her guilty mind."
"You (Govt) make public the letters sent by the World Bank to prove that you aren't involved in corruption," he told a discussion titled 'Corruption before Padma Bridge Construction, Fund Cancellation by World Bank; Bangladesh in Economic Crisis and Violation of Human Rights' at the National Press Club.
Fakhrul said the WB has brought the graft charges against three specific persons --, the Prime Minister, the Finance Minister and former Communications Minister Abul Hossain.
He asked the government to step down on moral ground shouldering the full responsibility for the corruption.
Opposing the PM's plan to construct the Padma Bridge with own fund, he said Sheikh Hasina is speaking about constructing the bridge with own fund only to hide her involvement in the corruption.
Winding up her speech at the 13th session of the 9th parliament, Sheikh Hasina revealed in parliament her government's plan for the construction of the mega project with own fund.
According to the plan, the construction work on the bridge would start in the current fiscal year and complete within fiscal year 2015-16 at a cost of Tk 23,000 crore.
She laid out the roadmap as the World Bank annulled a $1.2 billion credit for the Padma Bridge project recently, saying it has "credible evidence" of a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladesh government officials.
Fakhrul alleged the government has resorted to various dirty tricks to make people confused and divert their attention from the Padma Bridge graft.
Referring to Sheik Hasina's speech in parliament, the BNP leader said, "Her gesture and posture while delivering the speech about the Padma Bridge graft manifested her guilty mind."