Financier may set timeline as condition to finish Padma bridge project
I wonder if the Padma Bridge enquiry is focussing on the wrong issue, trying to investigate 'corruption' and 'transparency'. As a Principal/Headmistress in Bangladeshi-run English-medium schools for over 7 of my 13 years in this dear country, I know how many Bangladeshis of the middle and upper classes are expert, by the age of about 8, at ensuring that no authority discovers what ACTUALLY happened - or continues to happen, if accused of malpractice! They are likely to improve their techniques as they get older, ensuring that the authority concerned gives up trying to punish them at all as collecting reliable facts is just too much hard work. This gives the naughty ones, at first, the satisfaction of feeling 'clever' and, later, they consider such an achievement is 'normal' for those of their status. Thus, they are outraged if punished and consider that no punishment of such 'harsh' authority is too great. What about changing the issue to one of 'competence'? Surely, the big question is, “With or without 'corruption', is the Padma Bridge, likely to be built, according to the specifications, within the given time limit?†Thus the condition of funding might be, for instance, to complete, before the end of 2013, both the Dhaka - Chittagong and the Dhaka - Mymensingh highways, according to specifications - not, as someone suggested in one of these cases, by painting the road black to make it look as though it had been surfaced correctly….. This change of focus would surely save an awful lot of time in expensive meetings that go round and round in circles. If those expected to provide this money also specified that the trial of the war criminals should also be completed by the end of 2013 - as a test of 'competence', of course - then any hostility to 'funding by foreigners', might well vanish - amidst cheers from all quarters.
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