High Court: Submit progress report on Padma Bridge scam

The High Court has asked the authorities concerned to submit a report about the progress on the formation of an inquiry commission to identify and bring to justice people who fabricated stories of corruption about the Padma Bridge project. A division bench comprising Justice Quazi Reza-Ul Hoque and Justice Mohammad Ullah passed the order on Sunday, setting the deadline to February 11 next year. On February 15 this year the High Court issued a suo moto rule asking the government as to why it shall not be directed to form an inquiry committee or commission in this regard. It passed the rule based on a news item published in a national daily on February 14. The court made secretaries of the Cabinet Division, ministries of Home, Law and Communication and Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) respondents to the rule. The court also asked the Cabinet Division to submit a report about the measures taken to form the inquiry commission. Later, the state side filed several petitions seeking more time to form the commission.