B Mirror Desk : Concerns have arisen regarding the potential suspension of a Japanese loan due to corruption allegations linked to the construction of the road leading to the Matarbari coal-fired power plant. Japan’s development cooperation agency, JICA, has reached out to the Bangladesh government for information regarding these corruption claims.
In its correspondence with the Economic Relations Division (ERD) of the Bangladesh government, JICA requested responses to seven specific questions by June 4. A failure to provide timely answers could lead to the suspension of the loan.
Officials involved in the matter indicate that the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has already initiated legal action against a project director over corruption allegations related to the road construction project. There are concerns that the agency may proceed with suspending the loan after formally notifying JICA about the situation.
The government is in the process of constructing a deep-sea port and a 1,200-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Matarbari, Cox’s Bazar, with financial support from a loan provided by Japan. The coal-fired power plant initiative was launched in 2013, with an estimated project cost of approximately Tk 57,000 crore. Of this total, JICA is contributing loans amounting to around Tk 48,000 crore, marking Japan’s largest loan assistance to Bangladesh.
