Padma Bridge is a metaphor for the country!

Today marks the grand opening of Padma Bridge – the 6.150 km mega construction project aimed at accelerating communication, facilitating trade, boosting tourism, and creating jobs. For Bangladesh which is now on her 51st year with pride and scintillating social development markers; cherishing aspirations for middle-income status by 2041 a set objective, the bridge is a fitting metaphor for a nation that began from the rubble of war, faced with hunger, starvation and grinding poverty.

In the last fifty years, the country, once dismissed by the international political and diplomatic elites as a nation beset by countless ailments, displayed exemplary conviction, tenacity and perseverance to disprove every derogatory comment made at the time of independence.

Bangladesh, once among the poorest in the world, now has a per capita income above $2800 and despite several global economic convulsions; the economic growth had always been commendable.

Bangladesh is also fortunate to have come back to full operation after the pandemic when many other developed ones are still struggling with fresh waves of the virus.

The tale of constructing the Padma Bridge is a reflection of the country’s Liberation War because on both occasions, there were too many forces vehemently against it. The corruption charges which saw major donors withdraw was a massive blow that could have ended the dream of the bridge then and there.

However, the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believed in the motto ‘who dares wins’ and courageously took on the project while countless quarters, both inside and outside the nation, gasped. The prime minister as the rightful heir of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, has proven again and again that she has the vision to take the country further ahead. She even played a crucial role in the design of the marvel that is Padma Bridge.

The Padma Bridge not just a bridge but a structure that, should be considered as one of the major architectural marvels of South Asia, nay the world.

On the eve of the opening of the bridge, we congratulate Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her unswerving self-belief and the aplomb with which she brushed aside detractors to take on the leviathan project completely with local resources.

The bridge will connect the south-east of the country to the other parts, triggering a revolutionary advancement in communication. The two-level steel truss bridge carries a four-lane highway on the upper level and a single-track railway on the lower level.

It is believed that once in operation the bridge will go on to boost the national GDP by as much as 1.2 per cent.

For commerce and industry, this bridge will prove vital as special economic zones in Shariatpur and other areas will become attractive investment points for local and overseas investors.

From the perspective of tourism, the Padma Bridge will turn into a major attraction for people across the country who will come to see the structure. This will trigger tourism operations to expand around the bridge, resulting in job creation and rapid urbanisation.

Padma Bridge comes into operation at a time when the global economy is in ferment due to the repercussions of the protracted war in Europe. The bridge will drastically reduce time for transport of essentials thus helping the overall economic engine of Bangladesh to operate without disruptions.

Noted economists and socio-political analysts have stated that this mega project will be a sparkling symbol of this country’s resilience.

Since 1971, Bangladesh has overcome countless misfortunes, and impediments both natural and man-made; today, she is poised to progress further.

Before construction began, allegations of graft topped by derisory comments may have injected some doubt although the government was adamant in proving, with the spirit of 1971, that even seemingly insurmountable odds can be overcome with a determined mentality. As the bridge opens, the message sent to the world is, that if Bangladesh can dream it, the country can also achieve it.