It’s known to all how prime-minister Sheikh Hasina was unfazed by World Bank’s decision to not fund the Padma Bridge on allegations of corruption and, threw a counter challenge by arranging alternative funds, which is now being used to construct the structure.
But 44 years ago, her father, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, did the same thing and this was reminisced at a discussion in Delhi.
In 1974, at the invitation of US president Ford, Bangabandhu went to America and, at that time, World Bank president was Robert S Mcnamara. The current Bangladesh High Commissioner to India, Syed Muazzem Ali, was at that time a young diplomat and present during the meet of the two.
Mr. Ali recounts: “there was prolonged discussion about the economic condition of Bangladesh and what the World Bank could do in a newly emerged state.”
At the end of the meeting, he asked Bangabandhu: “Mr. President, when are you devaluing your currency?”
At that time, devaluation was thought to be a strategy to revive a struggling economy.
As the veteran diplomat recounts: “Bangabandhu remained unfazed by the question and calmly said: if you were my finance minister in place of Tajuddin Ahmed, I could have done it tomorrow morning.”
Mr. Mcnamara was taken aback by such a forthright answer which put him in his place and, left the room, added the High Commissioner.
“The same unyielding attitude was shown by the prime minister, Sheikh Hasina, when she decided not to ask for Word Banks help for the Padma Bridge, when the bank raised accusations of bribery within the government,” observed the senior Bangladeshi diplomat.