It’s time for south-western Bangladesh to rise

Padma Bridge brings a series of key economic opportunities to the table for Bangladesh’s south-western regions – especially Barishal, Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat and Jashore – where the ease of communication remained a thorn in the side of farmers and industrialists alike.

With the mega-bridge now open to public traffic, the time it takes for trucks carrying goods from this region to Dhaka and vice versa, drops by at least ten hours, which will tremendously benefit the regional producers of vegetables and fish.

The immediate boost in vehicle traffic and commerce will certainly not be one-sided, as the Padma Bridge will allow manufacturers situated in Dhaka and Narayanganj to grab the markets of south and south-western regions more easily due to the elevated connectivity. 

Everyday around 600 tonnes of agricultural products are sent to the capital from Khulna, Satkhira and Bagerhat, show data from the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Khulna.

Along with a much easier route to the capital’s markets, farmers and fishermen will also be able to get fair prices, as the Padma Bridge not only cuts down the transportation time of perishable goods via trucks to just 4-5 hours, it also enables the producers to bypass any middlemen.

Agro-goods and fish producers in the region – especially who farm shrimps commercially – will no longer be held hostage by any syndicate in fear of losing their entire harvest to the atrocious waiting times at the ferry docks.

This also gives these agro producers a significant boost in bargaining power.

The boons granted by the Padma Bridge will bring an economic boost to the whole country. Agriculture generates 42 per cent of the country’s employment and contributes 12.07 per cent GDP.

Of this figure, 5.7 per cent came from crops and horticulture, and 2.64 from fishing, latest data shows.

Bangladesh’s tourism sector will also get a huge boost from the Padma Bridge, as it offers visitors heading towards any of the south-western districts a significant drop in travel time, by removing the need for waiting at the ferry docks for hours.

Tourists used to suffer a lot due to the time-consuming process of crossing a river, which was necessary to visit Bagerhat, Kuakata and the Sundarbans. It takes at least four hours to cross the river, and it used to discourage potential travellers.

As the bridge shortens the time to travel to those regions, people will visit more. Meanwhile, people living in the country’s southern region will be able to travel to Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati and hill tract regions more easily.

The Padma Bridge and its adjacent areas will turn into a major tourism hub, boosting the country’s economy further. Project Hilsa, a restaurant, built nearing Padma River in 2021, has already gained much popularity among travellers and tourists.

The impact of the Padma Bridge is so profound, that many businesses began relocating their tourism establishments to more favourable locations even before the mega project’s inauguration.

Hotels, restaurants and resorts in the country’s south-western regions are anticipating crowds numbering in the millions to visit this part of the country annually. A feat never before thought possible at this scale because of the communication barrier posed by the mighty River Padma.

Southern districts also await a big jump in investments, spearheaded by the expansion of both production and exports. Besides, the region is now an attractive place for setting up new factories.

Some export-oriented garment factory owners, who are from Barishal and have factories in Dhaka or Chattogram, have already purchased land along the Barishal-Payra Port highway in Shikarpur, Doarika, and areas near Bakerganj.

This is because most RMG workers in Dhaka and Chattogram are from the southern districts. They will come back home, and there will be no shortages of skilled workers. Factory owners will not need other ports to export RMG items once the Payra port becomes fully operational.

Because of the connectivity created by this bridge – which also offers low cost and easy transportation – investors will consider this region for investment. The land prices here are comparatively low and affordable as well. Industry leaders believe that investors will now prefer this region to any other for relocating their factories, because the lead time will come down by at least ten hours.

With the opening of the Padma Bridge, there is no need for industrialists to buy land at a higher cost in Dhaka or its adjacent areas to build their factories.