By IANS,
Dhaka : Bangladesh has urged the World Bank to release funds for a stalled 10-km bridge across the Padma river in the country, an official said Thursday.
The government sent a letter Wednesday to the bank’s headquarters in the US after the bank cancelled the funding over graft charges, a finance ministry official said requesting anonymity, Xinhua reported.
He said letters have also been sent to co-financiers Asian Development Bank and Japan International Cooperation Agency, requesting them to continue funding for the project.
The 10-km-long multipurpose bridge over Padma river, one of the major rivers in the country, is estimated to cost $3 billion.
The bridge was expected to enhance regional trade.
He said Dhaka has met all the requirements of the World Bank, the main financier.
The bank last month cancelled its $1.2 billion funding, saying it had “credible evidence corroborated by a variety of sources which points to a high-level corruption conspiracy among Bangladeshi officials and individuals in connection with the Padma project.”
Bangladesh hopes the World Bank would review its decision positively as a cabinet minister also resigned to meet the Washington-based lander’s conditions.