Editorial
Make WB communication public
Only way to prove government's claim
In an oblique response to a direct query by a correspondent whether the government would disclose the World Bank's reports containing "evidence of corruption" in the Padma bridge project the Finance Minister said that the he did not believe in character assassination and that he had been against character assassination all his life.
That is indeed a very laudable thought to have, but we wonder whether the minister has realised the "Character Assassination" of the country as a consequence of the Padma Bridge loan cancellation. The international image of the country has suffered a serious blow.
Any attempt to show that the matter has not demeaned the country is nothing but behaving like an ostrich. It has indeed maligned the country's image, and it is not because of the Bank's allegations but how the government has handled the episode thus far without substantiating its claim that the evidence provided by the WB is not 'credible'
What makes the government's stand all the more untenable is the fact that the Canadian government has found the report credible enough to not only investigate but also arrest two top officials of the Canadian company alleged to have been involved in this scam and initiate legal proceedings against them. Two completely different reactions from two governments on the same report have greatly dented the credibility of our government.
Under a situation where the WB asserts that that the evidence it has provided merits cognizance and a thorough investigation, and the government's claim that the evidence is not credible enough, the only way to put all speculation at rest is to make public what the WB has provided by way of evidence.
It is an ignoble position to take that chooses to save the 'character' of, as it stands now, only one person at the expense of a project of great import to the country and the prestige of 16 crore Bangladeshis. "Character assassination" is but a fig leaf of an excuse. The only alternative for the government to restore its credibility in this matter is to make the WB letters public. And this is the only way that the government can validate its stance on the matter.
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