‘Ex-WB president was worthless’

Economic Correspondent: Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith lambasted former World Bank (WB) President Robert Zoellick over the Padma Bridge graft conspiracy, calling him a very ‘bad’ and ‘worthless’ person.

The finance minister came up with the comment while speaking at a ceremony marking the distribution of awards among the highest VAT payers of Dhaka International Trade Fair (DITF)-2018 at the National Board of Revenue (NBR) conference room in the capital on Monday.

“On the last day of his tenure, this former WB president cancelled the Padma Bridge loan bringing an allegation that we’re conspiring to appoint a particular consultant and take bribe,” Muhith said.

He said the government tried its best to reach an understanding with the World Bank and satisfy it. “Then Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain and Prime Minister’s then Economic Affairs Adviser Mashiur Rahman had to resign and even then Communications Secretary Mosharraf Hossain landed in jail.”

He also said only he and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina continued the fight against the lending agency.

Mentioning that the Prime Minister in the very first day of the allegation called for not taking the WB loan, the minister said, “It’s a matter of pleasure that the Padma Bridge is being constructed with our own fund. I hope you can travel through the bridge by June next year.”


risingbd/Dhaka/Feb 5, 2018/MA Rahman/AI