Originally Posted by PoorFan
Just yesterday or so, Muhit uncle said BD is greatful to Malaysia since they came up to help in a crutial moment and would ask them to invest in other infrastructure such as highways etc., clearly seemed he or his govt. didnt yet talked to Malaysian partner but felt ok to talk media on this issue.
The Malaysian High Commissioner should have been given an invite by the PM and thanked personally for the Malaysian initiative. It's not even diplomacy, it's courtesy ffs.
Originally Posted by Zunaid
Well, give no credence to what Muhit says these days. You know his elevator does not go all the way to the top, This seems to be the case for most of the cabinet these days. Is senility or imbecility a qualification criterion?
Add traditionally greased sycophancy with a side of panoramic retardation that makes the dumb feel smart. Not smarter, but actually smart.
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"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)
World Bank Statement of September 25, 2012 on Padma Bridge
Quote:
WASHINGTON, September 25, 2012—The World Bank today issued the following statement concerning the Padma bridge project in Bangladesh:
Media reports have quoted senior Bangladeshi government officials misrepresenting the World Bank’s position concerning the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project. We feel obliged to issue the following clarifications:
The Bank has shared repeatedly with the Government of Bangladesh credible evidence of corruption involving senior public officials related to the financing of the Padma bridge. This led the World Bank to cancel the US$1.2 billion credit in the absence of a credible response by the government.
On September 20, 2012 the government agreed:
to place all public officials suspected of involvement in the corruption scheme on leave from government employment until an investigation is complete;
to appoint a special inquiry and prosecution team within the ACC to handle the investigation; and
to grant access to all investigative information to an external panel of internationally recognized experts who will advise the Bank and co-financiers on the credibility of the government’s investigations.
The government requested the World Bank to consider again the financing of the Padma bridge.
The Bank remains concerned about corruption in Bangladesh in general and in the Padma bridge project in particular. It is for this reason that we have also made it clear that to engage anew in the project will require new implementation arrangements that give much greater oversight of project procurement processes to the Bank and co-financiers.
It is only after satisfactory implementation of all these measures as well as a positive report from the external panel of internationally recognized experts that the World Bank will go ahead with the financing of the project.
The people of Bangladesh deserve a clean bridge. If we are to move ahead, we are insisting that a credible investigation is undertaken and any project implementation be done in a manner that ensures transparency and enhanced oversight.
Originally Posted by F6_Turbo
Malaysia said they were going to take 500,000 Bangladeshis in the next 12 months...they better not mess this up(even more).
I can understand why we looked at alternatives once WB cancelled...but you can't have your hands in both jars and expect to come out unscathed. Convinving the WB to come back was without question the right choice, no way would Malaysia give us the same terms as them...but it makes a mockery of things when the Communication Minister is working on a deal with one party and the Finance Minister along with Foreign Ministry elements working on the same deal with another party.
No coherent message...no unified platform. Oh and they ALL talk too much, expect for Gowher Rizvi uncle...who shut his mouth and worked his butt off to get them back.
Rizvi uncle is the adviser, so he didn't have a microphone to shout on his own. Whatever has happened with PMB under this government, he has equal contribution/participation in it.
I don't think the employment issue and the PMB issues are inter connected.
Govt sources say another resignation may pave way for WB funding.
As Syed Abul Hossain steps down as ICT minister, the resignation of an adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina remains vital for the revival of World Bank finance regarding the construction of the Padma bridge, say officials.
....দুদকের সঙ্গে বিশ্বব্যাংক বসছে ১৪ ও ১৫ অক্টোবর: আমাদের ঢাকার নিজস্ব প্রতিবেদক জানান, পদ্মা সেতু প্রকল্পে দুর্নীতির অভিযোগ তদন্তে ১৪ ও ১৫ অক্টোবর দুর্নীতি দমন কমিশনের (দুদক) সঙ্গে বৈঠকে বসবে বিশ্বব্যাংকের তিন সদস্যের বিশেষজ্ঞ প্যানেল। প্যানেলের সদস্যরা আগামী রোববার সকালে ঢাকায় পৌঁছাবেন। ওই দিন সেগুনবাগিচায় দুদকের প্রধান কার্যালয়ে বেলা ১১টায় এবং পরদিন একই সময়ে বৈঠক হবে।.....
Muhith, Gowher meet bank's external panel in Tokyo
Quote:
The assurance of quick fund disbursement came at a meeting between the panel led by Luis Moreno Ocampo, a former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Finance Minister AMA Muhith and prime minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Gowher Rizvi at Imperial Hotel in Tokyo yesterday.
The panel told Muhith and Rizvi at the meeting that it could give the go-ahead for a fast-track release of the $1.2 billion fund the WB has promised if it finds the investigation was on the right track, said a Bangladesh official who was present at the meeting.
On Thursday, Isabel Guerrero, WB vice president for South Asia, gave Muhith similar assurance.
The panel, however, would continue reviewing the ACC probe, the official added.
Asked when the 2nd team will be here, Ellen said it would be premature to provide any firm date on the next mission which is expected to arrive shortly.
Terming the first visit of the World Bank’s external panel successful, she said the panel worked with the ACC to provide some suggestions for them and also to discuss the course of investigation as well as to help the Padma co-financiers to really know what investigation is taking place.
Ellen said that the panel had learned a great deal about the Bangladesh’s process for conducting investigation that was really the initial goal to establish the way of working with the ACC.
The World Bank had cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the $2.9 billion project on June 29, saying it had credible evidence of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and some private individuals.
The WB, which decided to revive its loan on September 21 after the Bangladesh government agreed to its terms and conditions, appointed a three-member external panel early this month to assess the conduct of the ACC investigation.
Thank you BANFAN for updating Padma Bridge status. My wild guess is things will not move a inch until any legal case been placed by ACC against those names on the WB list. That means WB panel officials will come in and go out here and there but no kick off or resume the project util then.
পদ্মাসেতু দুর্নীতি: অবশেষে আসামি হচ্ছেন আবুল হোসেন ও আবুল হাসান
Quote:
ঢাকা: পদ্মাসেতু দুর্নীতির দীর্ঘ নাটকীয়তার পর অবশেষে সাবেক যোগাযোগমন্ত্রী সৈয়দ আবুল হোসেন ও সাবেক পররাষ্ট্র প্রতিমন্ত্রী আবুল হাসান চৌধুরীকে এজাহারভুক্ত করছে দুর্নীতি দমন কমিশন (দুদক)।
বৃহস্পতিবার মামলার দিনক্ষণ পিছিয়ে সোমবারই এ দু`জনসহ নয়জনের বিরুদ্ধে মামলা করার প্রস্তুতি নিয়েছে দুদকের অনুসন্ধান টিম।
বিশ্বব্যাংকের কাছে দুদকের অনুসন্ধান প্রতিবেদন গ্রহণযোগ্য ও নিরপেক্ষ প্রমাণ করতেই শেষ পর্যন্ত এ সিদ্ধান্ত নিয়েছে কমিশন। তবে মামলার এজাহারে আবুল হোসেন ও আবুল হাসানকে সরাসরি আসামি করা না হলেও পরোক্ষভাবে আসামি করছে কমিশন।
Gotta say, the Party's outrageously skilled at self-destruction. The countdown started from the moment it went after Dr. Yunus ...
__________________
"And do not curse those who call on other than GOD, lest they blaspheme and curse GOD, out of ignorance. We have adorned the works of every group in their eyes. Ultimately, they return to their Lord, then He informs them of everything they had done." (Qur'an 6:108)
PADMA BRIDGE GRAFT
WB expels SNC-Lavalin for 10 yrs
Star Online Report
The World Bank has expelled Canadian company SNC-Lavalin and over 100 of its partners for 10 years following the company’s misconduct in connection with the Padma bridge project in Bangladesh, a statement of the global lender said.
Due to the bar, the Canadian engineering firm and its subsidiaries will not be able to take part in any bidding on any of the WB’s development projects for the next decade, said the statement of the WB which was published on April 17.
The WB took the decision after SNC-Lavalin admitted that it conspired to bribe several Bangladeshi public officials in an effort to secure a $50-million bridge contract.
Click here to read the full statement of World Bank on SNC-Lavalin.
SNC-Lavalin Inc is a subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin Group and represents more than 60 percent of its business.
The WB’s announcement about SNC also expanded the list of countries where the embattled engineering company has been accused of corruption.
The global lender said it has uncovered evidence that SNC conspired to bribe public officials in Cambodia and that it has passed that information along to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, who are already probing the company’s activities in Libya, Algeria and Bangladesh.
The debarment is part of a Negotiated Resolution Agreement between the World Bank and SNC-Lavalin Group following a WB investigation into allegations of bribery schemes involving SNC-Lavalin Inc and officials in Bangladesh.
While the investigation was ongoing, the World Bank’s integrity vice presidency also learned of misconduct by SNC-Lavalin Inc in relation to the WB-financed Rural Electrification and Transmission project in Cambodia.
The debarment can be reduced to eight years if the companies comply with all conditions of the agreement.
The remainder of the SNC-Lavalin Group has been conditionally non-debarred for the same period of time.
Under this sanction, the remainder of SNC-Lavalin Group faces debarment if they fail to comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement, said the Washington-based multilateral lender.
“This case is testimony to collective action against global corruption,” said Leonard McCarthy, World Bank integrity vice president.
“Once we had evidence of the company’s misconduct, we referred the matter to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police whilst the World Bank finalised its investigation. Going forward, I hope that SNC-Lavalin’s commitment under this agreement represents meaningful action in deterring the risks of fraud and corruption to development projects,” the integrity vice president of the WB added.
SNC-Lavalin’s misconduct involved a conspiracy to pay bribes and misrepresentations when bidding for WB-financed contracts in violation of the World Bank’s procurement guidelines.
Under the agreement, the SNC-Lavalin Group and its affiliates commit to cooperating with the World Bank’s integrity vice presidency and continuing to improve their internal compliance program.
The debarment of SNC-Lavalin Inc qualifies for cross-debarment by other MDBs under the Agreement of Mutual Recognition of Debarments that was signed on April 9, 2010.
The World Bank Integrity Vice Presidency (INT) is responsible for preventing, deterring and investigating allegations of fraud, collusion and corruption in World Bank projects, capitalising on the experience of a multilingual and highly specialised team of investigators and forensic accountants.
The WB cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the Padma bridge project on June 30 last year, saying it has proof of corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and individuals.
Earlier, the WB temporarily barred a unit of SNC-Lavalin from bidding in new World Bank projects following an investigation into the Padma bridge project.
SNC-Lavalin had submitted its bid to act as the owner’s engineer for the Bangladesh government to supervise the contractor responsible for Padma bridge construction.
Following a WB request, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) launched an investigation against the Canadian company on October in 2011.
It raided SNC-Lavalin office, seized documents from there and arrested former chief executive Pierre Duhaime, Bangladeshi-born Canadian citizen Ismail Hossain and Indian-born Canadian citizen Ramesh.
They claimed that they had gleaned information from the detainees and found proof of various irregularities regarding the consultant’s appointment for the bridge project.
They also claimed that the SNC-Lavalin had offered several influential Bangladeshis, including former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain, fat bribes to obtain the consultant’s job in the bridge project.
The five others, whose names came up in the RCMP investigation, are: Abul Hasan Chowdhury, ex-state minister for foreign affairs, Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, ex-secretary of the Bridges Division of the communications ministry, Rafiqul Islam ex-director of Padma Multipurpose Bridge project, Mujibur Rahman Chowdhury alias Nixon Chowdhury, civil contractor and younger brother of parliament whip Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury, and Ziaul Huq, managing director of Engineering and Planning Consultant Ltd (CEP), who represented SNC-Lavalin in the Padma bridge tender, said ACC sources.
Why don't they tell us if and how much money was actually handed over? Did they take $2mil? $5mil? How much????
Instead of 'conspired', 'offered' - not because that would make any difference, but I'd like to know how much these traitors took over a simple $50mil contract, to deny the country billions of dollars in the long term!
Thanks RS. I wish the video quality was better; I think it had encoding issue and buffers consistently.
7:55: Hasina: Listen... Listen....... "No Corruption!"
How can one lie with such conviction? Unbelievable. Makes me think she is also a stakeholder in this corruption. Why would she consistently defend Abul?
Looks like whoever uploaded to YouTube used a screengrab.
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Originally Posted by iDumb
so guys whats happening, are we making a bridge or not... these politicians are killing this country.
Seems like we've reached an impasse. I doubt WB would be willing to lend the required money to the current govt. We'd need a new administration (even if AL gets re-elected) to lead negotiations and regain their trust.
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September 27, 2012, 01:50 AM
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