BANGLADESH

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has ordered investigations into the allegations of corruption in the Padma bridge project.

Cabinet Division secretary M Abdul Aziz told reporters that Hasina issued the order at a meeting with the secretaries on Thursday, weeks after Canadian authorities launched an inquiry into possible corruption involving a $1.2 billion World Bank-funded project.

According to him, five allegations over the Padma bridge project have been raised.

Four of them had been brought during the last government's regime, he added.

The investigation by Canada began following allegations brought by the World Bank against employees of SNC-Lavalin Group Inc, which had been short listed for the project.

It is still unclear what allegations were brought against the firm.

The World Bank pledged $1.2 billion, Asian Development Bank $610 million, Japan International Cooperation Association $ 400 million and Islamic Development Bank $140 million as loan for the $2.9 billion-project to build the 6.15-kilometre long Padma bridge, the longest in the country.

The donors, however, have not yet cleared the money.

The allegation of corruption in the project seems to cause delay in clearing the loans.

The government is not ready for any delay in the project. Finance minister A M A Muhith on Monday said Bangladesh had proposed the World Bank to start the project soon by dropping any firm with allegation of corruption against it.