WB’s loan cancellation process won’t go unquestioned: FM
Dhaka, July 16 (UNB) – The government will raise questions at the proper place and time about the process of the World Bank’s loan cancellation for Padma Bridge, Foreign Minister Dr Dipu Moni said on Monday.
“The World Bank didn’t follow the due process in raising the complaint. Bangladesh and the World Bank have full rights to raise questions on procedural matters,” she said.
The Foreign Minister was addressing a views-exchange meeting with the journalists of Indian Media Correspondents Association in Bangladesh (IMCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club.
Dipu Moni said: “The complaint was raised without following the due process, and without producing any credible evidence…the way the complaint was raised made us annoyed.”
She went on: “Both Bangladesh and the WB were stakeholders in the Padma Bridge project and, from another point of view, we have the rights to raise question on the process of the loan cancellation even as a member state of the WB. That will be done at the proper place and time.”
Dipu Moni, however, said the issue of the loan cancellation will not affect the country’s relations with the World Bank. “It’s been long since we’re involved in relations through numerous projects…the relations won’t be affected whether a project is cancelled or not.”
The government is determined to build the Padma Bridge mobilising the internal resources, if needed, said Dipu Moni, adding that the government has not stopped negotiations with other donor agencies either.
Asked about the progress of Bangladesh-India joint survey to assess the impact of the proposed construction of Tipaimukh dam on Bangladesh, she said it will start very soon.
“Bangladesh has already sent to its counterpart the list of names of the team representatives for the joint survey, and we hope the names in the Indian team will be declared soon. It can be expected that both teams will be able to meet for the survey in one or two months’ time,” she added.
The foreign minister also pointed out that Bangladesh has already raised complaints to the International Maritime Boundary Dispute Settlement Tribunal in a bid to settle the dispute on maritime boundary with India.
“We’ve already submitted the arbitration memorial to the tribunal that India needs to respond to by July. We’ll have to wait until mid-2014 for the hearing and the verdict,” she said.
“The World Bank didn’t follow the due process in raising the complaint. Bangladesh and the World Bank have full rights to raise questions on procedural matters,” she said.
The Foreign Minister was addressing a views-exchange meeting with the journalists of Indian Media Correspondents Association in Bangladesh (IMCAB) at the Jatiya Press Club.
Dipu Moni said: “The complaint was raised without following the due process, and without producing any credible evidence…the way the complaint was raised made us annoyed.”
She went on: “Both Bangladesh and the WB were stakeholders in the Padma Bridge project and, from another point of view, we have the rights to raise question on the process of the loan cancellation even as a member state of the WB. That will be done at the proper place and time.”
Dipu Moni, however, said the issue of the loan cancellation will not affect the country’s relations with the World Bank. “It’s been long since we’re involved in relations through numerous projects…the relations won’t be affected whether a project is cancelled or not.”
The government is determined to build the Padma Bridge mobilising the internal resources, if needed, said Dipu Moni, adding that the government has not stopped negotiations with other donor agencies either.
Asked about the progress of Bangladesh-India joint survey to assess the impact of the proposed construction of Tipaimukh dam on Bangladesh, she said it will start very soon.
“Bangladesh has already sent to its counterpart the list of names of the team representatives for the joint survey, and we hope the names in the Indian team will be declared soon. It can be expected that both teams will be able to meet for the survey in one or two months’ time,” she added.
The foreign minister also pointed out that Bangladesh has already raised complaints to the International Maritime Boundary Dispute Settlement Tribunal in a bid to settle the dispute on maritime boundary with India.
“We’ve already submitted the arbitration memorial to the tribunal that India needs to respond to by July. We’ll have to wait until mid-2014 for the hearing and the verdict,” she said.
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