Dhaka: The Anti-Corruption Commission is set to give a reply to the letter of the World Bank's external panel regarding the probe into the Padma Bridge corruption conspiracy this week.

The commission is now preparing the answer of the letter following terms and conditions put forwarded by the WB panel.

ACC sources said the letter will put in details the work plan on how the former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury will be implicated in the probe report and FIR.

The WB panel raised a total of eight questions in its letter on January 9 which was sent in reply to ACC’s First Information Report (FIR) on the Padma Bridge graft case filed against seven suspects excluding the names of two ‘Abuls’ and adviser to Prime Minister Dr Mosihur Rahman.

The initial investigation report was prepared by the ACC investigators after looking deeper into Padma Bridge graft conspiracy. Now following the latest WB panel guidelines, the ACC will answer the panel’s queries in its reply.

On December 17, the ACC filed a with Banani Police Station in the capital against seven persons blamed for their involvement in the Padma Bridge graft conspiracy.

However, former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury were left out in the case and also from the draft probe report.

The two ministers, however, were put on the list of suspects in the alleged graft conspiracy. The case was filed after prolonged investigations into the graft conspiracy following the World Bank allegations.

The seven listed accused include former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan and Superintendent Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority Kazi Mohammad Ferdous, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Reaz Ahmed Zaber.

The other accused are: Deputy Managing Director of Engineering and Planning Consultant and a local agent of Canadian firm SNC Lavalin Mohammad Mostofa; and SNC Lavalin officials Mohammad Ismail, Ramesh Shah and Kelvin Wales. 

Of the accused, Mosharraf and Kazi Ferdous are in prison now after an Anti-Corruption Commission team led by its director Mohammad Towhidul Islam arrested the duo in the capital on December 26, 2012.

Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Reaz Ahmed Zaber, Deputy Managing Director of Engineering and Planning Consultant Mohammad Mostofa are absconding.

Three other accused Mohammad Ismail, Ramesh Shah and Kelvin Wales are staying in Canada at the moment.

On July 29, 2012, the World Bank had cancelled its $1.2 billion credit for the $2.9 billion Padma Bridge project saying it had credible evidence of a corruption conspiracy involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of a Canadian firm and some private individuals.

(FK/AMA/ 18/01/13)