High Court rule for trying those behind 'false graft allegations' on Padma Bridge project

The High Court has issued a rule for trying those who made 'false graft allegations' over Padma Bridge project.

In its suo-moto rule on Wednesday, the bench of justices Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Mohammad Ullah asked why it would not instruct the government to form a committee or a commission find out the 'conspirators' in keeping with the 1956 Inquiry Act and other related laws.

It has also asked why those making the 'false allegations' will not face trial.

The Cabinet secretary, secretaries to the home, law and communication ministries, ACC chief and the IGP have been told to come up with explanations by two weeks.

The court has also ordered the Cabinet secretary to file an update over measures to form the committee or commission within 30 days, said Deputy Attorney General Tapash Kumar Biswas.

He said the next hearing has been scheduled for Mar 20.

The World Bank raised a stink over alleged corruption in execution of the Padma Bridge project and suspended funding. Bangladesh was forced to withdraw funding request and is now implementing the project with its own resources.

A case was started at a Canada court against SNC-Lavalin, accusing the company of bribing Bangladeshi officials to secure contracts in the Padma Bridge project in 2010-11.

After a long process, the Canadian court acquitted the three employees of Canada-based SNC Lavalin on Friday.

The verdict said the evidence produced in the case was "nothing more than assumptions and rumours."

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has maintained from the very beginning that the allegations were part of a conspiracy and claimed some Bangladesh nationals were involved in it.

Addressing the Parliament recently, she blamed Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus as using then US secretary of state Hillary Clinton for disrupting World Bank funding. The editor of a national newspaper was also blamed for the conspiracy.

On Tuesday, Hasina said she suspected some other reason behind the 'false allegations.'

"Such a critical project for the country was adversely impacted only because one person's interests were hurt," she said while presiding a meeting of the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC).

Erstwhile communication minister Abul Hossain was forced to resign following allegations of involvement with the scam. Former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury also faced similar allegations.

Former Bridge Division Secretary Md Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan was sent to jail over the case.

Later, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) investigated it and found no evidence against them.

The Padma bridge graft case was dismissed in 2014 after ACC submitted its final probe report. The court acquitted seven, including the secretary from the charges.