A festive environment everywhere in Mawa of Munshiganj district and Jajira in Shariatpur district over the opening ceremony of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge on Saturday.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is scheduled to inaugurate the Padma Bridge, turning the nation’s dream into a reality.
Thousands of people have started to throng the bridge area centring the inaugural ceremony since Saturday morning.
A number of colourful boats were seen moving on the river to celebrate the country’s biggest dream.
Banners and festoons were seen on both sides of the road connecting the bridge.
Special security measures have been taken in and around the bridge area to ensure full-proof security.
The bridge has connected directly the country’s 21 south and south-western with the capital, which is expected to accelerate the GDP growth by 1.23 per cent and make an outstanding contribution to socio-economic development by alleviating poverty at the rate of 0.84 per cent per annum, according to official estimates.
On July 09, 2012, PM Hasina at a cabinet meeting announced that Bangladesh would construct the Padma Bridge with its own funds after the World Bank withdrew its funding from the project over the allegation of unproved corruption conspiracy.
Later, the graft allegation was rejected by a Canadian Court as false and baseless after the World Bank filed a case in this regard.
Since the start on December 12, 2015, the work on the bridge continued unstopped despite the Covid-19 pandemic situation and the Holey Artisan tragedy.
Govt spent Tk 30,193.39 crore for the project, but the allocation for the main bridge is Tk 12,133.39 crore (including Tk 1,000 crore for the installation of a 400-kV electricity transmission line and gas line).
Besides, the Tk 9,400 crore was allocated for river training works, Tk 1,907.68 crore for approach roads (including two toll plazas, construction of two buildings for police stations and three service areas), Tk 1,515 crore for the rehabilitation of the displaced people (caused by the project) and Tk 2698.73 crore for land acquisition.
Earlier, on June 17, 2014, Bangladesh signed an agreement with a Chinese firm - China Major Bridge Engineering Company for the construction of the bridge.
The first span of the bridge was installed on September 30 in 2017 while the last span (41st one) was installed on December 10, 2020. The two-storye bridge is 22 meters wide and has four lanes.
However, The Padma Bridge is expected to last more than 100 years, but its construction cost will be recovered in the next 35 years.
