Bangladesh, April 21 -- Kyrgyzstan, a landlocked and mountainous Central Asian country, has long teetered between aspirations of modernization and the realities of deeply entrenched corruption. Under President Sadyr Japarov, the country has pursued an ambitious image of development, fueled by flashy infrastructure projects that seek to portray Kyrgyzstan as an economic contender in the region. Chief among these is the massive football stadium currently under construction near Bishkek, the capital. Promoted as the largest stadium in Central Asia upon completion, the project is emblematic of both the countrys lofty ambitions and its troubling descent into opacity.

The construction of the stadium is officially tied to Kyrgyzstans joint bid ...