TWO BANGLADESHI NGOS BARRED FROM BIDDING ON WORLD BANK CONTRACTS
The World Bank, in a July press release, announced that ithas banned two Bangladeshi NGOs and their executive directors from bidding toprovide goods or services pursuant to contracts financed or executed by any member of the World BankGroup. The World Bank issued the bansbecause a World Bank investigation found evidence of fraud by the parties inrelation to a project financed by the World Bank. The two NGOs concerned are the Organizationof Rural Economic Development & Rehabilitation (OREDAR) and the PovertyAlleviation and Rural Development Organization (PARDO). OREDAR and its former executive director,Rezaul Karim, are banned for a period of two years; however, OREDAR may reducethis period to one year by instituting a compliance program acceptable to theWorld Bank. PARDO and its executivedirector, Mrs. Shamima, are banned for a period of three years. No mention was made of a potentiallyshortened period.
The findings of fraud were the result of investigations in
The press release quoted Leonard McCarthy, VP for Integrityfor the World Bank, as stating “When we talk about integrity in Bankoperations, it must apply equally to all the entities that implement ourprojects, whether they are large corporations or small NGOs.”
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