DHAKA, October 1, 2012—Ellen Goldstein, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh and Nepal today issued the following statement concerning the Padma bridge project in Bangladesh:
"The World Bank recently took a decision to engage anew in the Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project. To that end, the World Bank will be fielding two missions in the near future. One mission will introduce an external panel of eminent anti-corruption experts to begin assessing the fullness and fairness of the Bangladeshi investigation into evidence of corruption under the Padma Bridge project. In conjunction with this assessment, the second mission will collaborate with our co-financiers in modifying the project implementation arrangements to ensure greater oversight of procurement processes. The World Bank is currently coordinating the schedules of the mission members, and we hope to welcome them to Bangladesh in the course of this month."
