The World Bank (WB) has raised question over independence of the Anti-Corruption Commission due to the dilemma in filing cases against the persons allegedly involved in corruption conspiracies over the Padma Bridge project, official sources said.

“During its visit to Dhaka last week, an external panel of the World Bank raised the matter to Finance Minister AMA Muhith as it failed to reach a consensus on the names of persons to be included in the probe report on corruption charges in the Padma Bridge project,” a source in Economic Relations Division (ERD) said. 

Sources in the Anti-Corruption Commission said the visiting World Bank’s external panel raised question over the independence and effectiveness of the ACC after a series of meetings between the WB panel and ACC officials ended inconclusively on December 4. The WB panel was unhappy at the commission’s bid to drop the name of ex-communications minister Syed Abul Hossain from the draft inquiry report on corruption allegations in the project. 

Despite receiving sufficient evidence, the ACC is not filing any case on political considerations to save a person from graft charges, the WB representatives observed. 

The ACC, however, claimed to the WB external panel that it is working nuturally and independently. 

The external panel of the World Bank left Dhaka on December 4, two days ahead of its scheduled departure. 

The WB external panel recommended suing a number of persons involved in the corruption conspiracy in the selection of a consultant for the Padma Bridge project. 

Finance ministry sources said Finance Minister AMA Muhith earlier assured the four-member WB panel of working in light of their investigation and file of cases as per the findings on the investigation report. But the panel left Dhaka without reaching a consensus with the ACC regarding the matter.

ERD sources said the WB will not send any team to initiate further discussion on Padma Bridge funding unless a full and fair probe is conducted by the ACC into the alleged corruption in the country’s biggest infrastructure project. 

WB country director in Bangladesh Ellen Goldstein also made it clear that the World Bank team will not visit Dhaka until a fair investigation is conducted into the alleged corruption conspiracy and the accused persons are not sued in the light of the investigation. 

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Muhith Saturday expressed surprise over World Bank’s statement regarding the issue. 

A statement issued by the global lender Saturday said it would fund the Padma Bridge project only once a ‘full and fair’ probe is conducted by the Anti-Corruption Commission into the alleged corruption conspiracies. “I’m surprised at this sudden statement,” Muhith said in his immediate reaction to the statement. 

When contacted, ACC Chairman Ghulam Rahman declined to comment on the matter. 

Dr Iftekharuzzaman, executive director of Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB), told daily sun that the Anti-Corruption Commission could have done great job if it had remained free from political influence. 

The government should not put pressure on ACC regarding the investigation and filing cases against the persons involved in the corruption in a tender process of the Padma Bridge project. 

He also observed that the image of Bangladesh would be tarnished if the ACC does not conduct a fair investigation in the matter and file case against the corrupt in line with the World Bank allegation.

The high-powered World Bank expert panel, formed on October 5 this year, arrived in the capital on December 1 for the second time to oversee the progress made by the ACC in its probe into the alleged corruption in the project. 

The global lender suspended its $1.2-billion pledged loan in September last year raising graft allegations and finally scrapped its fund on June 29, but returned on September 20 as the government managed to strike a deal with it.

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