Dhaka, Jan 17 (AFP) Bangladesh has blacklisted a topChinese construction firm for allegedly trying to bribe asenior government official and stopped its work in thecountry.
The state-backed China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC)was in negotiations with the Bangladesh government to expand amajor highway from the capital Dhaka to the northeastern cityof Sylhet, a top government official told AFP.
The country's road transport minister Obaidul Quader saidWednesday that the blacklisted company's work in Bangladeshhas been stopped, but declined to identify the firm or itsprojects.
Finance minister A.M.A. Muhith had confirmed the ban lateTuesday when he was asked by a reporter about CHEC allegedlytrying to bribe an official.
Muhith told reporters that the firm was blacklisted andcould no longer work in Bangladesh after it offered the topbureaucrat in the road transport ministry around 5 milliontaka ($60,000) as a bribe.
CHEC could not be reached for comment. The company hasundertaken several large infrastructure projects around theworld and operates in over 80 countries, according to itswebsite.
"I have taken action," Quader, the road transportminister, told AFP on Wednesday. "If I did not take anyaction, then why was the work of the company halted?"He declined to comment further, but said the affair wouldnot dampen Bangladesh's growing ties with China.
Beijing has been Dhaka's main lender in recent years formajor infrastructure projects, including highways and powerplants.
"We don't want to strain ties with a country due to onecompany," Quader said.
The finance minister said Tuesday that Bangladesh willfund the $2.1 billion Dhaka-Sylhet highway expansion projectitself.
Ties between Bangladesh and China got a huge boost inOctober 2016 when Xi Jinping became the first Chinesepresident to visit Dhaka in more than three decades.
During his visit, the two countries signed a raft ofdeals worth more than $20 billion.
Xi called it a "historical turning point" in relationswith Bangladesh after talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina,who is seen as close to New Delhi. (AFP)PMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.