Padma graft: R&H engineer remanded

A Dhaka court on Sunday placed the executive engineer of Roads and Highways Department on a five-day remand in connection with corruption in Padma bridge project. Reaz Ahmed Zaber stands accused for conspiring to commit bribery in the project. Metropolitan Magistrate Md Saifur Rahman passed the order after Mirza Zahidul Alam, a deputy director of Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) and investigating officer of the case produced Zaber before the court with a ten-day remand prayer. Earlier on March 13, complying with a High Court directive, Zaber surrendered before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka. The court sent him to jail rejecting his bail in the case on that day. On the same day, the IO filed the ten-day remand prayer for quizzing Zaber. While holding an important government office, Zaber smuggled out important information to Canadian firm SNC Lavalin, the ACC official said during the remand prayer. Zaber faxed the documents to SNC Lavalin, he added. On March 6, Zaber surrendered before the High Court and sought anticipatory bail in the case. But the court denied him bail and advised him to surrender before the Court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate, Dhaka. On December 17 last year, the ACC filed the case with Banani Police Station against Zaber and six others for conspiring to commit bribery in the project. The six other accused in the case are: former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Superintendent Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) Kazi Mohammad Ferdous, Deputy Managing Director of Engineering and Planning Consultant, SNC Lavalin’s local agent, Mohammad Mostofa and SNC Lavalin officials Mohammad Ismail, Ramesh Shah and Kevin Wales. The World Bank cancelled its $1.2 billion funding for the project on June 29 last year, saying it had proof of a “corruption conspiracy” involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of the Canadian firm and some individuals. Responding to a request by Bangladesh government, the global lender on September 21 decided to revive the loan after the government agreed to the World Bank’s terms and conditions. However, the government, on January 31, withdrew its request for loan revival and the lender agreed.