Padma Bridge Work to Start in Apr/May

[eastwatch]

Padma bridge work 'by April/May' | Business | bdnews24.com

Padma bridge work 'by April/May'
Mon, Sep 24th, 2012 4:27 pm BdST

Dhaka, Sep 24 (bdnews24.com) – Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith expects the construction work of the much-hyped Padma bridge to begin by April/May next year.

"The tender for the bridge construction work will be floated in October and we will lay the foundation for the bridge in either April or May," Muhith told reporters at the Finance Ministry on Monday.

"The World Bank has already agreed to the modalities suggested by me for the bridge construction. They also have some tender documents. They are scrutinising those," he said.

"We should go for tender," Muhith added.

Muhith briefed reporters for the first time on Monday since the Washington-based global lender officially announced on Sep 21 its return to the Padma bridge project.

The World Bank had suspended its pledged $1.2-billion credit last year raising graft allegations against some senior government officials, and set some conditions for its return to the project.

It finally cancelled the deal on June 29 saying no measures were taken to meet those conditions.

The government responded by announcing that the bridge would be built with own resources, if need be, but continued pursuing the World Bank for reconciliation.

As part of understanding with the global lending agency, former Communication Minister Syed Abul Hossain resigned and Bridges Division Secretary Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was sent on leave.

Prime Minister's Economic Affairs Advisor Dr Moshiur Rahman, who was the Integrity Advisor of the project, was also removed from the project.

After the government met all the conditions set by the bank, it issued a statement on Sep 20 saying, "The Bank has agreed that upon satisfactory implementation of the agreed measures by the government, and with the support of the Bank's governing bodies, the Bank will engage anew in the Padma Multipurpose Bridge."

When asked whether a new deal would have to be signed with the global lender as it had cancelled the previous agreement, Economic Relations Division Secretary Iqbal Mahmud said, a delegation of the World Bank was due in Dhaka.

"A final decision will be made after talks with them," he added.

 

[LuCiFeR_DeCoY]

good news for us
i want the bridge so badly,,,we need it for our economic growth

 

[Luffy 500]

Good news if it is really the case.

 

[idune]

 

[eastwatch]

I wonder if April/May is not too early to start the foundation work for the bridge. There are so many preliminary works to do before the foundation works can be started. For example once the preliminary locations of foundations are decided, there will certainly be Standard Penetration Tests (SPT). This will determine the type of foundations, such as pneumatic caisson, ordinary caisson or piled foundation, or a combination of these depending upon the soil conditions.

After the foundation location plan is finalized on the drawings, floating barges, cranes, pumping machines etc. and a temporary bridge along the main bridge will be needed. Next, cofferdams have to be built with two lines of sheet piles around the proposed foundation site. When the general contractor finds that all his work will be wasted because of floodwater in June, he may decide not to tart in May. So, he may wait until Novemer end because the flood water will be receding then.

Moreover, a large construction requires fine tuning of schedule and arranging the required manpower, equipments and others like logistics. All these require building temporary facilities around the construction site. Therefore, it may not be possible for a Contractor to start construction in May next year unless WB clandestinely decided who would be the Contractor for the job.

 

[TopCat]

I wonder if April/May is not too early to start the foundation work for the bridge. There are so many preliminary works to do before the foundation works can be started. For example once the preliminary locations of foundations are decided, there will certainly be Standard Penetration Tests (SPT). This will determine the type of foundations, such as pneumatic caisson, ordinary caisson or piled foundation, or a combination of these depending upon the soil conditions.

After the foundation location plan is finalized on the drawings, floating barges, cranes, pumping machines etc. and a temporary bridge along the main bridge will be needed. Next, cofferdams have to be built with two lines of sheet piles around the proposed foundation site. When the general contractor finds that all his work will be wasted because of floodwater in June, he may decide not to tart in May. So, he may wait until Novemer end because the flood water will be receding then.

Moreover, a large construction requires fine tuning of schedule and arranging the required manpower, equipments and others like logistics. All these require building temporary facilities around the construction site. Therefore, it may not be possible for a Contractor to start construction in May next year unless WB clandestinely decided who would be the Contractor for the job.

By April/May the main can contractor can be selected and the foundation stone can be erected. But the contractor will need another year to start the actual work of the main bridge as they need to bring heavy machinery from overseas. The approach road work can be started in April/May but the main work of bridge will start in 2014 September.

 

[PlanetSoldier]

I wonder if April/May is not too early to start the foundation work for the bridge. There are so many preliminary works to do before the foundation works can be started. For example once the preliminary locations of foundations are decided, there will certainly be Standard Penetration Tests (SPT). This will determine the type of foundations, such as pneumatic caisson, ordinary caisson or piled foundation, or a combination of these depending upon the soil conditions.

After the foundation location plan is finalized on the drawings, floating barges, cranes, pumping machines etc. and a temporary bridge along the main bridge will be needed. Next, cofferdams have to be built with two lines of sheet piles around the proposed foundation site. When the general contractor finds that all his work will be wasted because of floodwater in June, he may decide not to tart in May. So, he may wait until Novemer end because the flood water will be receding then.

Moreover, a large construction requires fine tuning of schedule and arranging the required manpower, equipments and others like logistics. All these require building temporary facilities around the construction site. Therefore, it may not be possible for a Contractor to start construction in May next year unless WB clandestinely decided who would be the Contractor for the job.

Let them inaugurate the foundation stone on april/may for the first time....this bridge has at least 3 foundation stones in its forehead (don't forget the govt. change after election) .

BTW, you know a lot about technical part, seems you are professionally attached to this. It's our fate you type guys are living abroad and we are running after foreign consultancy.

 

[idune]

BTW, you know a lot about technical part, seems you are professionally attached to this. It's our fate you type guys are living abroad and we are running after foreign consultancy.

The way eastwatch is promoting Awami looting its better he stay away and not join plundering in Bangladesh.

 

[idune]

Govt plans to float tender next month

Staff Correspondent
Padma Bridge

The government on Monday unveiled a plan for construction of the Padma multipurpose bridge with the initiation of tendering next month and finalising it by February 2013. Breaking his silence over the new developments about the World Bank’s return to the project, Finance minister AMA Muhith on Sunday said the foundation lying ceremony might take place in April-May.
He told reporters at his secretariat office that this was the government plan which has already been forwarded to the WB and co-financiers, the Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Muhith evaded a question as to whether the government would just only lay the foundation of the mega infrastructure project during its current tenure that expires in January 2014.


The World Bank finally decided to revive its $1.2 billion credit line for the project on September 21 after more than two and a half months on certain conditions including further investigation into the alleged corruption and new procurement arrangement.

The Prime Minister’s economic adviser, Mashiur Rahman, who was forced to go on leave to meet one of the conditions of the WB, had said on September 18 that the construction of the bridge was unlikely during the tenure of the present government.
WB, the lead donor agency of the multi-billion dollar project across the river Padma, cancelled the credit programme last June on allegation of corruption.

The finance minister said they were expecting delegations from the donor agencies shortly. He said he did not know exactly when they will arrive in the capital. The delegations will set up the modalities of credit lines for the Padma bridge project, he added.

Muhith indirectly ruled out observation by Jamilur Reza Chowdhury who said the government might start the whole procedures of the bridge project afresh. Jamilur Reza Chowdhury is chief of the tender evaluation committee of the bridge project.Without giving details, Muhith said things will take place according to the already agreed conditions with the lending agencies.

He indicated that some previous tender procedures might qualify, saying the WB will examine them now.
Bridge division officials said they completed only one tender that was consultancy for supervision works of the bridge construction. Selection of other contractors for main bridge, approach roads and river training are under scrutiny.

New Age | Newspaper

 

[eastwatch]

Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh

WB to Control Procurement Modalities
FHM Humayan Kabir

The World Bank (WB) is likely to propose formation of an independent procurement body for the Padma Bridge project with the lender being on the driving seat, officials said Friday.

A joint-delegation of the WB and three other co-financiers will come to Dhaka on Monday for discussion with the government about setting procurement modalities anew.

"Since the World Bank wants to ensure transparency in procurement, it would like itself to be on the driving seat during implementation of the Padma Bridge project," a top official told the FE.

He said the WB is also likely to suggest the formation of a joint procurement body, comprising co-financiers of the proposed project and the government.

The Washington-based lender has already said that the Padma Bridge project will require "new implementation arrangements" that give much greater oversight of project procurement processes to the Bank and co-financiers.

Based on the government's positive signal about agreeing with its conditions, the global lender on September 21 agreed to re-engage in the multi-billion-dollar bridge project, after a funding stalemate persisting for nearly a year.

The state-owned Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) is the implementor of the project, including conduct of all types of procurement.

The BBA has already short-listed five international bidders for the main bridge construction.

Earlier, the project ran into a trouble following corruption allegations raised by the WB in selecting supervision consultant.

Since the WB was reported to have found corruption in the bidding process, it now wants to prepare the procurement process afresh in a bid to ensure transparency about the implementation of the project, an official of the ministry of finance (MoF) said.

"The global lender became more surprised when the integrity adviser to the Pamda Bridge project was allegedly abetting, or being getting involved in, 'corruption,' pertaining to the bidding process of the country's largest infrastructure project. So, it is now going for a new procurement arrangement with its high-stake supervision," he said requesting for anonymity.

Procurement is a major part of the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge project as the authority will hire separate contractors for construction of the main bridge, approach roads on two sides, river training and supervision, besides the supply of hardware.

The joint delegation of the donors, scheduled to arrive in Dhaka on October 1, will discuss with the government about the modalities of the procurement process with the donors enjoying much oversight of it and formation of an international expert panel to oversee the Anti-Corruption Commission's inquiry into the graft allegations.

Government officials were reported to have said that the Bangladesh delegation, led by Dr Gowher Rizvi, had agreed, during the discussion earlier with the WB at its headquarters in Washington with the officials of the latter, to allow WB and the co-financiers to supervise the whole set of procurement for the country's largest infrastructure project.

Last week, the World Bank clarified that it would finance the bridge project only on satisfactory implementation of all the agreed measures and a positive report from the external panel of internationally-recognised experts.

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@idune, since AL govt as well as the expected next BNP govt will be unable to make 2 pices from the procurement business, therefore, now this bridge construction will be corruption-free. So, send your commends to the AL govt and comments to PDF on this new positive development.

 

[idune]

Financial Express :: Financial Newspaper of Bangladesh


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Ha ha you caught red handed paddling Awami league lie and looting and now trying to paddle more bs? That is bad news for you that WB going to monitor IF they finance the project. Awami League lie, looting and deception destroying the prospect of the finance and Bangladesh is loosing hundreds of crores taka as lost GDP growth. But You are very upset that Awami League looting got exposed. Dog tail never get stright.

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World Bank Statement of September 25, 2012 on Padma Bridge

September 25, 2012

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.

World Bank Statement of September 25, 2012 on Padma Bridge

 

[eastwatch]

Let them inaugurate the foundation stone on april/may for the first time....this bridge has at least 3 foundation stones in its forehead (don't forget the govt. change after election) .

BTW, you know a lot about technical part, seems you are professionally attached to this. It's our fate you type guys are living abroad and we are running after foreign consultancy.

Thank you for your sweet complements, but, BD highway/bridge engineers are not in control over a big project financed by lending agencies or by individual countries, nor do they have the urge to have control or to learn. Because their jobs are secured with good salaries.

However, if the country wants to develop its own civil design and construction technology of such a gigantic project as Padma Bridge, the relevant ministry should use ITS OWN MONEY to employ one, two or three big local companies (not owned by minister's brother-in-laws) to look after the country's present and future interest. By contract with the lenders

1) Engineers from these companies would be allowed to attend all the technical meetings.

2) Will receives all the technical reports, drawings, schedules prepared by the foreign design companies.

3) Will check and revise the drawings as may be needed.

4) Ask the designer to submit the relevant references to technical points from a previous job or a Standard like ACI, ANSI and AASHO (American Association for State Highway Officials).

There are hundreds of points that I cannot explain here. But, why do we really need such local contractors both during design and construction stages? One may ask why to pay them money when the local engineers may not know about the technical aspects?

Answer is, with their direct involvement in such a project engineers of these local companies will learn how to evaluate soil testing reports, establish soil parameters, design and construct temporary facilities and main structures. In any future project (much smaller in scale comparing to Padma), funded by local money, one of these companies, for example, may be asked to do site survey, establish soil bearing capacity, select abutment and pier locations and do the design works. Another company may be asked to do the construction works.

This is how some of these companies in the long run may be able to build long bridges or heavy civil constructions like undergroud tunnels, ports and harbours. When we reach this stage BD will not have to depend upon foreign money to do big projects. We are not independent because we are technologically behind the western countries. We must not expect a technolology transfer from a group of countries to BD, whereby our engineers have not yet built up their knowledge muscle.

Here I have proposed how to make a technology transfer possible. So, call me when you become a minister in the next govt. I will go and will try to help you out. Note that nothing positive will happen unless there is a change in govt policy, how the govt wants to get technology from the foreigners who know better than us.

Guys, sorry for the unnecessarily long post and forgive me for pretending something which I am really not.

 

[eastwatch]

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তীব্র স্রোতে মাওয়া-কাওড়াকান্দি নৌরুটে ফেরি চলাচল বন্ধ
ঢাকার সঙ্গে দক্ষিণের ২১ জেলার সড়ক যোগাযোগ বিচ্ছিন্ন
মাদারীপুর, শিবচর ও লৌহজং প্রতিনিধি

পদ্মা নদীতে তীব্র স্রোতের কারণে ঢাকা-খুলনা মহাসড়কের কাওড়াকান্দি-মাওয়া নৌরুটে ফেরি চলাচল গতকাল বিকাল থেকে বন্ধ ঘোষণা করেছে বিআইডব্লিউটিসি কর্তৃপক্ষ। এতে রাজধানী ঢাকার সঙ্গে দক্ষিণাঞ্চলের ২১ জেলার সড়ক যোগাযোগ বিচ্ছিন্ন হয়ে পড়েছে। এ নৌরুটটি কবে নাগাদ চলাচলের উপযোগী হবে, তা নিশ্চিত করে বলতে পারেনি কর্তৃপক্ষ। তাই বিআইডব্লিউটিসি কর্তৃপক্ষ মাওয়া-কাওড়াকান্দি নৌরুটের সব পরিবহনকে দৌলদিয়া-আরিচা নৌরুট ব্যবহারের পরামর্শ দিয়েছেন। কয়েক দিন ধরে ১৩টি ফেরির মধ্যে মাত্র ২টি রো রো ফেরি চলছিল। গতকাল সন্ধ্যায় ফেরি চলাচল পুরোপুরি বন্ধ করে দেয়ায় পদ্মার দুই তীরে মাওয়া ও কাওড়াকান্দি ঘাটে ১০ কিলোমিটার পর্যন্ত যানজট লক্ষ্য করা গেছে।


এর আগে গতকাল সকালে ঢাকা-মাওয়া-খুলনা মহাসড়কে চলাচলকারী সব ধরনের বাস, ছোট গাড়ি ও মালবাহী ট্রাকসহ যাত্রীসাধারণকে ঢাকা-আরিচা রুটের পাটুরিয়া-দৌলতদিয়া ঘাট ব্যবহারের অনুরোধ জানিয়েছিল। নৌরুটের স্বাভাবিকতা ফিরে এলে ফেরি সার্ভিস চালু করা হবে বলে জানানো হয়। তবে আগামী ৭ দিন এ অবস্থা থাকতে পারে বলে আশঙ্কা করা হচ্ছে।
বিআইডব্লিউটিসি কাওড়াকান্দি ঘাট কর্তৃপক্ষ জানিয়েছে, প্রবল স্রোত, নাব্য সঙ্কট ও উজান থেকে নেমে আসা পলি মাটির কারণে সৃষ্ট ডুবোচরে মাওয়া-কাওড়াকান্দি নৌরুটে পদ্মায় ফেরি চলাচল বন্ধ করা হয়েছে।

দু’দিন ধরে প্রচণ্ড স্রোতের প্রতিকূলে গিয়ে মূল পদ্মা নদী পাড়ি দিয়ে মাত্র ৫০০ গজ পরিমাণ নদীপথ পার হয়ে মাওয়া পাড়ে ফেরি ঘাটের পন্টুনে ভিড়তে প্রায় ২ ঘণ্টা সময় লাগছিল। ফেরির ইঞ্জিনের সর্বোচ্চ ক্ষমতা প্রয়োগ করেও স্রোতের প্রতিকূলে এগিয়ে যাওয়া সম্ভব হচ্ছে না। কারণে ২-৩টি সাহায্যকারী আইটি (উদ্ধারকারী জাহা&#2460 দিয়েও ঘাটে ভেড়াতে হিমশিম খেতে হতো ফেরির চালকদের। অবশেষে গতকাল বিকাল ৫টা থেকে সব ফেরি বন্ধ রাখার নির্দেশ দিয়েছেন কর্তৃপক্ষ। এতে প্রতি ঘণ্টায় যানজট বেড়েই চলেছে।

রো রো বীর শ্রেষ্ঠ রুহুল আমীন ফেরির মাস্টার ইনচার্জ ইয়াকুব আলী জানান, নদীতে প্রচণ্ড স্রোতের প্রতিকূলে গিয়ে মূল পদ্মা নদী পাড়ি দিয়ে মাত্র ৩০০ গজ পরিমাণ নদীপথ পার হয়ে মাওয়া ঘাটে ভিড়তে আধাঘণ্টার জায়গায় প্রায় ২ ঘণ্টা সময় লেগে যাচ্ছে। ফেরির ইঞ্জিনের সর্বোচ্চ ক্ষমতা প্রয়োগ করেও স্রোতের প্রতিকূলে এগিয়ে যেতে পারছে না। এ কারণে ২-৩টি সাহায্যকারী আইটি (উদ্ধারকারী জাহা&#2460 দিয়েও ঘাটে ভেড়াতে হিমশিম খাচ্ছে ফেরির চালকরা। পদ্মায় পানি বাড়ার ফলে স্রোতের তীব্রতা বেড়ে যাওয়ায় ফেরি চলাচল বন্ধ হয়ে যাওয়ার আশঙ্কা করছেন বিআইডব্লিউটিসি কর্তৃপক্ষ।

নির্ভরযোগ্য সূত্রে জানা যায়, গতকাল বিকালে বিআইডব্লিউটিসি চেয়ারম্যান মো. মুজিবুর রহমান মাওয়া ফেরিঘাট এলাকায় পরিদর্শনে যান। এ সময় ফেরিচালক, বিআইডব্লিউটিসি কর্মকর্তাদের সঙ্গে নদীপথের ব্যাপারে বিভিন্ন খোঁজখবর নিয়ে মাওয়া-কাওড়াকান্দি নৌরুটে ফেরি চলাচল বন্ধ ঘোষণা করেন।

কাওড়াকান্দি ঘাটের সিনিয়র সহকারী ব্যবস্থাপক শাহনেওয়াজ চৌধুরী বলেন, ৫ দিন আগে থেকে তীব্র স্রোতের কারণে মাওয়া-কাওড়াকান্দি নৌরুটে চলচলকারী এবং রায়পুরা, রানীক্ষেত, লেন্টিন, রামশ্রী ও যমুনাসহ ৭টি ডাম্প ফেরি বন্ধ রাখা হয়েছে। অন্য ৬টি ফেরিও স্রোতের কারণে ঠিকমত চলতে পারছে না। তাই উভয় ঘাটে সহস্রাধিক যানবাহন আটকে পড়েছে।

মোবাইল ফোনে বিআইডব্লিউটিসি চেয়ারম্যান মো. মুজিবুর রহমান সঙ্গে যোগাযোগ করলে তিনি বলেন, নদীতে তীব্র স্রোতের কারণে ফেরির ইঞ্জিনের সর্বোচ্চ ক্ষমতা প্রয়োগ করেও স্রোতের প্রতিকূলে এগিয়ে যেতে পারছে না। কবে নাগাদ রুটটি ফেরি চলাচলের উপযোগী হবে—এমন প্রশ্নে তিনি বলেন, প্রাকৃতিক দুর্যোগে কারও হাত নেই। এ দুর্যোগ কাটলেই ফেরি চলাচল স্বাভাবিক হবে। তিনি আরও বলেন, এ নৌরুটের সা পরিবহনকে দৌলতদিয়া-আরিচা নৌরুট ব্যবহারের পরামর্শ দেয়া হয়েছে।

পাঁচ্চর হাইওয়ে সার্জেন্ট মো. খালিদ জানান, স্রোতের কারণে ৫ দিন ধরে ফেরি চলাচল ব্যাহত হচ্ছে। এতে যানজট কোনোভাবেই কমছে না। প্রতি ঘণ্টায় যানজট বেড়ে চলেছে। এতে সাধারণ যাত্রীদের দীর্ঘপথ হেঁটে কাওড়াকান্দি ঘাটে পৌঁছতে হচ্ছে বা ঘাট থেকে হেঁটে এসে গন্তব্যের গাড়িতে উঠতে হচ্ছে। এ কারণে চরম দুর্ভোগের শিকার হচ্ছেন এসব যাত্রী। তিনি আরও বলেন, ঘাটে তীব্র যানজট থাকলেও কোনো ধরনের অপ্রীতিকর ঘটনা আমরা ঘটতে দেইনি। শৃঙ্খলা রক্ষা করে গাড়িগুলো ফেরিতে উঠাতে সাহায্য করছি।

বিআইডব্লিউটিসির কাওড়াকান্দি ঘাটের সহকারী ব্যবস্থাপক আবদুল বাতেন জানান, ‘পদ্মার পানি বেড়ে যাওয়ায় স্রোত বেড়ে গেছে। নাব্য সঙ্কটের কারণে গত রোববার কবুতরখোলা চ্যানেল বন্ধ হওয়ায় বর্তমানে লৌহজং-হাজরা চ্যানেল দিয়ে ফেরি চলাচল করছে। এতে নৌপথের দূরত্ব দুই কিলোমিটার বেড়ে গেছে আবার ফেরিগুলোকে তীব্র স্রোতের মুখোমুখি হয়ে চলতে হচ্ছে। এ কারণে পদ্মা পার হতে স্বাভাবিকের চেয়ে সময় বেশি লাগছে এবং যানজটের তীব্রতাও বাড়ছে।

বিআইডব্লিউটিসির ম্যানেজার বাণিজ্য শেখর চন্দ্র রায় নিশ্চিত করে জানান, কর্তৃপক্ষের নির্দেশেই ফেরি সার্ভিস সম্পূর্ণ বন্ধ রাখা হয়েছে। যাত্রীবাহী যানগুলো ইচ্ছে করলে ফেরত যেতে পারে। ট্রাকগুলো ফেরি চলাচল শুরু হলে পারাপার হতে পারবে।
এদিকে গতকাল পর্যন্ত আটকে পড়া যানবাহনের লাইন আরও দীর্ঘ হতে থাকে। এতে গতকালও মাওয়া ও কাওড়াকান্দি উভয় পাড়ে প্রায় ১০ কিলোমিটার দীর্ঘ যানজটে সহস্রাধিক যানবাহনকে পারাপারের অপেক্ষায় থাকতে হয়েছে। ফেরিঘাটগুলোতে ভয়াবহ যানজট দেখা দেয়ায় দুর্ভোগ বেড়েই চলেছে চলাচলকারী যাত্রীদের।

 

[anilindia]

But its not clear who will finance the Bridge....WB,ADB,China,India, Own resources......

 

[idune]

WB STRICTURE

Will loud-mouthed office-holders learn the lesson?
Sadeq Khan

The propaganda machine of the ruling Awami League is adept at spinning yarns and making mountain out of a molehill of publicity material in its favour and at making an orchestra of confusing noises to bury any public debate unfavourable to the ruling alliance. The perseverance of the External Resource Division team led by Finance Minister AMA Muhith and the success late on September 20 of the Prime Minister’s Adviser for Foreign Affairs Dr. Gowher Rizvi in clinching a new deal with the World Bank (WB) to “re-engage” with the Padma Bridge (PB) project after cancellation of the $1.2 billion IDA credit on June 29 this year has been trumpeted ever since in Bangladesh media.

Earlier on September 20 Finance Minister Muhith hinted at a seminar in Dhaka about revival of the World Bank loan saying “One of our advisers has sat with the top tier of the WB in Washington. We have received positive news from there.” The same day, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Akramul Qader told the media that the multi-lateral donor agency conveyed its decision to revive its funding to the Bangladeshi officials who were negotiating with the top rung of the WB in Washington for the last couple of days. Later, a press release of World Bank statement of September 20, 2012 on Padma Bridge categorically stated as follows: “The Government of Bangladesh has now begun to address the evidence of corruption the bank identified. The World Bank understands that all government employees and officials alleged to have been involved in corrupt acts in connection with the project have been put on leave from Government service until an investigation is completed, and that a full and fair investigation is now underway.

In its communication with the World Bank about the fulfilment of these measures, the Government of Bangladesh requested the World Bank to consider again the financing of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. The Government agreed to a series of measures as a pre-requisite for any renewed implementation. These include new procurement arrangements with enhanced oversight, to ensure transparency and clean construction of the bridge; investigations proceeding in a full, fair, and expeditious manner; and an independent External Panel to review the Government’s investigation and report their findings to the Government and the World Bank.

The bank has agreed that, upon satisfactory implementation of the agreed measures by the Government, and with the support of the bank’s governing bodies, the bank will engage anew in the Padma Multipurpose Bridge.”

The propaganda machine of the ruling party and its faithful officials in the government thereupon went on a gleeful campaign, practicing “economy with truth” on unpleasant parts and “dressing up” agreed steps of project implementation with wishful interpretations. The result was a fresh stricture from the World Bank. On June 26, as Finance Minister Muhith was being felicitated as the most successful finance minister of Bangladesh in a public reception in Sylhet, he was confronted by journalists with the news of another World Bank statement of September 25, 2012 on Padma Bridge. The clarification issued by the World Bank noted:

“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 $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.”

Throughout the stalemate over WB financing of the Padma Bridge, Bangladeshi financing experts at home and abroad have been soberly pointing to the follies of the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) in uncannily creating an “information crisis”. The WB publicly encouraged the GOB to release all of their shared information and communications, but the GOB released only some of its communications to the WB and none from the WB to the GOB. The conflicting and position-shifting statements of the GOB ministers and officials only deepened the information crisis. The government’s amateurish approach for alternative financing seeking other development assistance, self-financing, partnership with China and/or Malaysia, and on-again off-again pursuit of reinstatement of the WB loan could only betray an overall sense of confusion, a lack of credibility for the restarted negotiations with the WB, and a widely shared perception that the government was in disarray.

The propaganda over Malaysian investment, the silly act of raising funds from countrymen and expatriate Bangladeshis in the name “patriotism;” and the contradictory positions of the prime minister and the finance minister, the former making caustic remarks about the WB while boasting about economic self-sufficiency and the latter persevering to revive the loan painted a comic, clumsy and confusing picture of the state of economic management of GOB before the watchful eyes of the international community and development partners to whom we not only lost our reputation but also our credibility.

Can the suffering public hope that the publicity-crazy self-glorious ministers and officials will at least learn to keep their mouths shut and discreetly attend to their duties, if any, with regard to the Padma Bridge project, after the latest stricture from the World Bank?

Holiday