Foreign minister AK Abdul Momen has said the World Bank (WB) must be “apologetic” and feel “sorry” considering that they did Bangladesh a “big injustice” by cancelling the funding for the Padma Bridge which is set to be inaugurated on 25 June, reports news agency UNB.
“There is no guarantee that big institutions always do good things,” he said while talking to television journalists at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Thursday.
Minister Momen further said the global lending agency should pay compensation to those who faced harassment and seek an apology from them, acknowledging the big injustice they had committed.
The Bangladesh government invited World Bank president David Malpass to attend the inaugural ceremony of the much-awaited Padma Bridge.
The Bangladesh Bridge Authority e-mailed the invitation to the chief of the multilateral lending agency on Wednesday.
Earlier, prime minister Sheikh Hasina said her government’s move to self-finance the Padma Bridge brightened Bangladesh’s image globally. “Such a bold decision has also boosted the self-confidence and mental strength of the nation.”