Bangladesh has reportedly cancelled the road construction project of Dhaka Sylhet highway by a Chinese company on charges of attempting to bribe Bangladeshi officials in this regard.
According to media reports, Bangladesh has also blacklisted the firm from participating in any future ventures.
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In the past the company has undertaken some major projects like Pakistan’s Gwadar Port and Sri Lanka’s Hanbatota Port.
The media reports also stated that the company tried to bribe the newly-appointed director of Bangladesh Highway Transport and Bridges Department for the purpose of diverting project funds.
The Finance Minister reportedly said that he was offered about 5 million Taka (about $ 60,000).
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“China Harbor Engineering Co, Ltd. (CHEC) has been blacklisted by the government of Bangladesh for bribing government officials and will not be allowed to participate in any future construction projects in Bangladesh,” the report quoted Bangladeshi Finance Minister AMA Muhith in an interview for the The Daily Star.
It may be mentioned that in October 2016, when Xi Jinping visited Bangladesh, he lent USD 21.5 billion for 26 projects.
However, at the time of negotiating specific projects, Chinese companies reportedly tried to change the amount of investment that the original government had agreed upon.
On the other hand, when Bangladesh reportedly expressed its displeasure with the Chinese government, the latter did not take any constructive action.