After the much-publicised Padma bridge episode, the World Bank has now realigned its approach to tackling corruption in projects.

Chinese company Sinohydro Corporation, which has kept the Dhaka-Chittagong Highway Expansion project stalled for two years, may bag the Padma Bridge River Training Project by offering a questionably lower price. The Chinese company is supposed to be ineligible to take part in this massive tender as it is facing the World Bank's “early temporary suspension” for suspected wrongdoings. As per tender rule, the government is supposed to disqualify such a bidder. Sinohydro, Korean Hyundai and Belgian Jan De Nul submitted financial proposals to the Bridges Division on June 19 and evaluation of their bids is going on.

The bridges division has prepared a tight schedule to implement different components of the delayed Padma Bridge project at a faster rate.

The Padma bridge project has opened business opportunities for local manufacturers of construction materials, especially cement and rod.

The government yesterday struck a deal with China Major Bridge Engineering Company Ltd for the construction of the main part of Padma bridge.

The cabinet purchase committee today awarded the contract for the construction of the Padma bridge to a Chinese company.

The new government looks to complete by June the tender process and award contracts for three key components of the Padma bridge project -- construction of the bridge, river training and appointment of supervisory consultant.

Bangladesh ranked 16th from the bottom in this year's graft index, released globally by Transparency International yesterday. It scored 27 points out of 100, one point higher than the last year when it became 13th in the corruption perception index. Chairperson of the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) trustee board, Sultana Kamal termed the slight change in Bangladesh's position insignificant as the country's position still remains quite low. Quoting the report, TIB executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said grand corruption incidents in the stockmarket, Padma bridge project, Hall Mark, Destiny, railway and Rana Plaza collapse significantly overshadowed Bangladesh's profile this year.

The communications ministry’s Bridges Division on Monday signed a Tk 133.49 crore contract with Bangladesh Army for supervision consultancy work of two approach roads and two service areas of the Padma bridge.

If the erosion, now taking place along South Medini Mandal village, goes on, the design of the bridge would have to be partially altered.

COMMUNICATIONS Minister Obaidul Quader's comment on Finance Minister AMA Muhith's position being “unrealistic” and “obstructionist” on Chinese and Russian proposals has taken us by surprise. More so, when Quader makes a value judgment on the finance minister's stance indirectly blaming him for the delay in starting construction of Padma Bridge.

The government on Wednesday floated a tender for the construction of the main infrastructure of the Padma bridge, an official said.

The cases are so blatant and glaring. Syed Abul Hossain, Suranjit Sengupta, Dr Moshiur Rahman, Modasser Ali. The list goes on. In dealing with each of these cases, the government's actions seemed inexplicable. Hardly anybody, including the top AL leaders, could explain why certain actions were taken or not taken.

The World Bank will indirectly help Bangladesh in constructing the Padma bridge though it has withdrawn its fund over an allegation of corruption conspiracy, as the project is very important for the economy. "We will continue to help the government to get that project done if that is where it indicates its priorities to be," said Johannes Zutt, WB country director for Bangladesh and Nepal, at a media briefing on the assessment of the 2013-14 budget at his office in the capital.

In its final report, the World Bank's external panel has mentioned only the name of ex-communications minister Syed Abul Hossain as a high-profile corruption suspect in the Padma bridge project. The panel expressed dissatisfaction at Abul's exclusion from the First Information Report filed by the Anti-Corruption Commission, and said the ACC was not probing the Padma bridge corruption allegations in a free and fair manner.

The World Bank on Tuesday handed over to the government its final probe report into the corruption conspiracy in the Padma bridge project.

The Padma bridge project is set to get Tk 5,291 crore, the highest allocation in a single project, in the next fiscal year's budget although uncertainty remains over the utilisation of the fund.

The finance minister, in a pre-budget meeting with the Economic Reporters Forum (ERF), spelled out the financing plan for the Financial Year (FY) 2013-14 to 2016-17 of the 6.15 km Padma Bridge, totaling Tk.221.79 billion, from internal resources.

Transparency International Bangladesh yesterday demanded the government stand firm against any possibility of corruption and ensure maximum level of transparency and accountability in the Padma Bridge project.

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.