Finance minister Abul Mal Abdul Muhith on Saturday said a tender would be floated in March for construction of the proposed Padma Multipurpose Bridge and the
construction was expected to start in two or three months later.
‘As it is one of our election pledges, we have to construct the bridge,’ Muhith told reporters after inaugurating the annual sport competition of the Bangladesh
Customs Sports Council in the port city in the morning.
Muhith’s statement came two days after the government had formally withdrawn its request to the World Bank for financing of the mega infrastructure project.
He said it would need around 45 days for completing the tender proceedings and another 15 days for scrutiny of the bids.
The minister also said that it was not sure whether the Asian Development Bank or the Japan International Cooperation Agency would keep their commitment to fund the
project as both of them were parties to the agreement signed with the World Bank.
‘We will construct the Padma Bridge any how by our own funds or assistance from other sources,’ he said.
On withdrawal of the request for WB funding Muhith said, ‘We have done every thing as per their demand’ but nothing could satisfy the bank. ‘So, we had to take the
decision’ and added that it would be proved after 50 years whether the decision was right or wrong.
Courtesy of New Age
