The High Court on Tuesday ordered the concerned bodies of the government to form a commission to identify the real conspirators who created false stories of corruption in order to hinder the Padma Bridge project.
The authorities concerned of the government have been asked to form the commission within the next 30 days and the commission has been asked to submit an investigation report in this regard to the court in two months.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Nazrul Islam Talukder and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo delivered the verdict after hearing a five-year-old rule on the matter and also set August 28 in 2022 for passing further order on this issue.
Deputy Attorney General A K M Amin Uddin Manik represented the state, while lawyer Khurshid Alam Khan stood for the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) during the hearing in court.
Later state lawyer Mr Manik said, “Although the respondents have been directed to form the commission, the cabinet secretary who is the number one respondent will play the vital role in forming the commission. Respondents have been asked to form the commission within one month and the commission has been asked to submit an investigation report within two months.”
The World Bank signed an agreement to finance the Padma Bridge, the largest infrastructure project in Bangladesh, but later withdrew from the project raising corruption allegation. After that Bangladesh implemented this project with its own initiatives.
Canadian police sued some top officials of SNC-Lavalin, a Canadian construction firm that was involved with the project. However, Ontario Superior Court of Justice in Canada after the trial acquitted the accused from all the charges at the prosecution’s request terming the allegation as being gossip and rumour.
Following some news cutting the HC bench of Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah on February 15, 2017 issued a rule on a Suo Moto (voluntary) move asking the government to explain in four weeks why they should not be directed to form an enquiry commission to identify the "real culprits who were behind conspiracy against the nation by creating false stories of corruption” in the Padma Bridge project.
It also wanted to know in the rule why the respondents should not be directed to bring those who were behind such stories to justice.
The state lawyer recently placed the matter in the new HC bench for hearing. After hearing on the rule the High Court bench delivered the verdict on Tuesday.
During the hearing on Monday the HC bench said, “The Padma Bridge is our national asset. It is our pride...Those, who were against the Padma Bridge and such development, are enemies of the country and the nation. They need to be identified.”
