Editorial
Mount credible investigation
Come clean on Padma Bridge allegations
The World Bank has made serious allegations, in what we believe to be in written form, to the Government of Bangladesh centring around the Padma Bridge project. At the moment, it has suspended funding. JICA and ADB are following the World Bank lead waiting to see how we settle the graft allegations with the Bank. Where multilateral financial institutions fund a multibillion dollar project, the co-financiers usually go the way of the largest contributor in bankrolling a mega project. That is only to be expected.
What is extremely puzzling is why the government is putting its entire reputation at stake just for an alleged indiscretion on the part of a minister or a company. Without passing any judgment on any individual or a process, let it be said that the World Bank has alleged a 'certain misconduct' after what we would like to think due diligence and all that it needs is a thorough and scooping investigation to get to the truth of the matter. And then assure all concerned of having pursued the matter with due diligence and thus come clean on it. Merely persisting in saying 'no corruption' has taken place is not enough of a response to the situation. Instead of taking an initiative, the government is apparently waffling, creating a smokescreen and confounding the matter in the process. Let us not forget that it is a matter of handling international finance in which even the slightest of misgivings in the minds of development partners has to be scrupulously avoided, and if given rise to, addressed, with seriousness and sincerity.
We would, therefore, urge the government to launch an immediate investigation into the WB allegations and put the minister out of office for the duration of the inquisition so as to prevent any possibility of his influencing the course of inquiry as is the standard practice. There are examples aplenty in India, Britain and Japan, where ministers have even resigned in the face of alleged scams, allowing for the investigation to take its course.
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