Editorial
No negative vibes on Padma Bridge, please!
Some hands-on approach in sight
One cannot but be a little baffled by the prime minister's comment made in New York in reply to a journalist's query. She reportedly said that the Padma Bridge would be built regardless of whether or not the World Bank missions visit Dhaka to talk over bridge financing.
It appears the PM is not keeping tabs on the developments centring on Padma Bridge financing, nor apparently are people close to her duly keeping her informed about it.
For the fact is that the resident representative of the World Bank said yesterday that two of its missions are likely to visit Dhaka. They would discuss appointment of external panel of experts and assess probes being carried out by the ACC.
We are at a loss to understand why the PM is occasionally making comments pertaining to a very important project when the WB has in principle agreed to come back to it. Was such observation called-for?
In her meeting with the WB president earlier on, she had indicated that she would find out 'the real culprits' involved in blocking the WB funding to come through.
May be it was just a coincidence or may be not, but the WB sent a stern reminder almost immediately thereafter that high government functionaries were misrepresenting its position They insisted on fulfilment of the conditions before releasing funds to which the Bangladesh government had agreed in the first place.
That being the case,, we wonder, why the PM should be giving negative vibes occasionally about WB's participation and that too out of context.
Since the WB, for its part, is moving ahead and the government is steadfastly pursuing the matter with the WB, why we wonder she should be sending any confusing signal, even unwittingly?
Recently the prime minister warned against reckless talks on Padma Bridge. The circumspection should apply to everybody.
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