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Padma bridge funding call after Jan 12

Posted by NEWS

The Asian Development Bank's country director on Wednesday said financiers of the Padma bridge project will sit after Jan 12 when the World Bank's local chief will return from Washington.

"The World Bank country director (Allen Goldstein) is now in Washington and discussing the Padma bridge project at the head office," Thevakumar Kandiah told .

Washington-based World Bank is the biggest co-financier of the much coveted project.

"All of us will sit together after her arrival and we can reach a decision then," he said.

The government and the World Bank locked in a battle over corruption issue when the lending agency came up with allegation that former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain was engaged in extortion in the project.

He was removed from the post, apparently to pave way for getting the necessary finance for the project, and replaced by Obaidul Quader.

The bridge at Mawa-Jajira is the biggest ever infrastructure project in Bangladeshwith total estimated cost of $2.9 billion which is co-financed by World Bank, Asian Development Bank, Islamic Development Bank and Japan.

The government signed agreements with World Bank for $1.2 billion loan, Asian Development Bank for $615, Japan for $400 million and IDB for $140 million.

The government attached top priority to building Padma bridge after coming to power in 2009.

It has completed the designs of main bridge, river management, and approach roads of both sides.

The length of the main bridge is 6.15 kilometres and 14 kilometres of the river will be come under management and length of approach road is 12 kilometres.

The bridge, once constructed, is expected to help the economy grow by 1.2 per cent and cut poverty at 0.84 per cent per annum.

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