Dhaka, Bangladesh (BBN) - The World Bank (WB) two missions are expected to arrive in Bangladesh within this month to set modalities of reviving its cancelled loan for the Padma bridge project.
“The World Bank is currently coordinating the schedules of the mission members, and we hope to welcome them to Bangladesh in the course of this month,” Ellen Goldstein, Country Director, World Bank Bangladesh said in a statement on Monday.
She also said: "The World Bank recently took a decision to engage anew in the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project. To that end, the World Bank will be fielding two missions in the near future. One mission will introduce an external panel of eminent anti-corruption experts to begin assessing the fullness and fairness of the Bangladeshi investigation into evidence of corruption under the Padma Bridge project. In conjunction with this assessment, the second mission will collaborate with our co-financiers in modifying the project implementation arrangements to ensure greater oversight of procurement processes.”
Meanwhile, a two-member delegation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has arrived in Dhaka. Another team of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is also likely to arrive in Dhaka in a couple of days.
The ADB country director and the JICA resident representative held a meeting with Finance Minister AMA Muhith at his residence in Dhaka on Sunday.
A finance ministry official said ADB and JICA presented before the finance minister what would be the matrix for the new arrangements.
ADB has extended its loan effectuation deadline that expired on September 30 until December 21.
BBN/SSR/AD-01Oct12-12:20 pm (BST)
