Communications Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the government has not heard anything from the World Bank’s on its rejoining the Padma bridge project.
“The smoke surrounding the World Bank’s return to finance the Padma bridge has not cleared yet,” he told journalists and added that the finance ministry and the Economic Relation Department were working on the matter.
The proposed Padma bridge project’s key financer, the World Bank, scrapped its pledged $ 1.2-billion loan for the $ 2.9-billion bridge in June last year raising graft allegations. The two other lenders, the Asian Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency, have extended the deadline of finalising the loan deal for the bridge until Aug 31.
The fate of the project will go in limbo if the World Bank does not return by Aug 31.
Amidst the stalemate, Malaysia had expressed its willingness to finance the bridge. A memorandum of understanding was also signed between the two countries.
Malaysia submitted its final proposal to Bangladesh on construction of the bridge on Monday.
When asked about the proposal, the Communications Minister said, “We are scrutinising their proposal.”