Abuls under ACC watch

Former communications minister Syed Abul Hossain and former state minister for foreign affairs Abul Hasan Chowdhury are under the watch of the Anti-Corruption Commission.
The duo was not charged in the ACC case filed on Monday against seven people on charges of conspiring to commit bribery in the Padma bridge project, but the case statement said their roles would be examined during the investigation.
“The investigators are keeping an eye on their [the two Abuls] movement," ACC Commissioner Md Badiuzzaman told reporters at his office in the capital yesterday. He, however, would not elaborate how the two were being watched.
Contacted by Bangla daily the Prothom Alo, Abul Hossain said, "Yes, I'm under watch. So what? I'm an honest, transparent and holy man. I'm also under Allah's watch."
Asked if he was facing any problem of movement, Abul said nobody could do so except Allah.
The ACC commissioner said an investigation team would visit Canada to interrogate the three SNC Lavalin officials who were sued along with four Bangladesh government officials in the Padma bridge graft case.
“The team will go there after the commission gets permission from the Canadian government,” he said, adding that the ACC was communicating with the Canadian authorities in this regard.
The three Lavalin officials -- Mohammad Ismail, Ramesh Shah and Kevin Wales -- are Canadian nationals.
In the meantime, the team will try to arrest the four accused government officials -- former secretary of the Bridges Division Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Superintending Engineer of Bangladesh Bridge Authority Kazi Mohammad Ferdous, Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Reaz Ahmed Zaber and Deputy Managing Director of Engineering and Planning Consultant, a local agent of Canadian firm SNC Lavalin, Mohammad Mostofa.
The commission on Wednesday ordered the investigation team to arrest them.
The WB cancelled its $1.2 billion funding on June 29, saying it had proof of a "corruption conspiracy" involving Bangladeshi officials, executives of SNC Lavalin and some individuals.
The global lender on September 21 decided to revive the loan after the Bangladesh government agreed to the WB's terms and conditions, including conducting a fair investigation in the allegation.