TDS Desk:

The Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found initial evidence of irregularities and corruption in the appointment of consultants for the Padma Bridge project, the commission’s Chairman Abdul Momen said on Tuesday (July 1).

Speaking to reporters at the ACC headquarters in Dhaka, he also claimed that the previous commission dismissed the accused in the Padma Bridge corruption case through sheer force.

“The case was concluded despite having sufficient evidence. Preliminary evidence of irregularities and corruption in the appointment of consultants for the Padma Bridge has already been found in an investigation that began in January,” he said.

The chief of the anti-graft body said, “Several corruption-related findings have already emerged. We will also investigate whether the previous commission intentionally protected the accused.”

He added that if the ongoing investigation uncovers the involvement of any individuals, they will be brought under the purview of the law.

After nearly a decade of inactivity, the ACC reopened the case in January this year, forming a high-level committee to re-examine the matter.

The case dates back to 2012, when the ACC filed charges against seven individuals amid a global controversy surrounding the World Bank’s funding of the Padma Bridge.

However, in 2014, under the commission led by Badiuzzaman and Shahabuddin Chuppu, the case was abruptly dropped without explanation.

Following the commission’s renewed focus, new information has begun to surface. The ACC now has in its possession key documents related to Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, the former secretary of the then Bridges Division, and other involved parties.

The cost of the Padma Bridge project was estimated at Tk10,161.75 crore at the August 2007 meeting of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec).

As the project could not be completed timely, the cost of the project later rose to Tk30,193.39 crore.

The World Bank, which had committed $1.2 billion in credit for the Padma Bridge project, withdrew its funding, citing evidence of corruption. Later, Bangladesh built the bridge with its own funding.

In a statement issued in 2012, the World Bank stated that it had credible evidence corroborated by a variety of sources which points to a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladeshi government officials, SNC Lavalin executives, and private individuals in connection with the Padma Bridge project.

“The World Bank provided evidence from two investigations to the prime minister, as well as the minister of finance and the chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission of Bangladesh (ACC) in September 2011 and April 2012.

“We urged the authorities of Bangladesh to investigate this matter fully and, where justified, prosecute those responsible for corruption. We did so because we hoped the Government would give the matter the serious attention it warrants,” reads the statement.