We hoisted our national flag on the bridge

On the surface, we only supplied cement, but if you think deeply, we hoisted our national flag on the Padma Bridge, Premier Cement Mills Managing Director Mohammed Amirul Haque told The Business Post’s Abdur Razzak Sohel in an exclusive interview

We were directly involved in all the mega projects of the country, including Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel. We contributed to most of the flyovers.

But to be a part of the Padma Bridge is really a matter of pride, and the feeling is definitely different. On the surface, we only supplied cement, but if you think deeply, we hoisted our national flag on the bridge.

Like Premier Cement, many companies contributed to building the bridge by supplying cement and rod. As it was a mega project, no single company could supply everything alone. We supplied some 20 per cent of the cement used in the bridge. Our factory is located in Munshiganj, around 30-40 kilometres from the bridge.

Many people said it is not possible to turn into effective of Padma Bridge. But from the very beginning, I was confident that it was possible to implement the project. The Bridge is no longer a dream; it has become a reality and will contribute to the country’s development by setting a milestone in connectivity.

The local companies supplied domestically manufactured cement and rod, reflecting their capability. Our cement is now world-class as we maintain global standards. For this reason, we could supply cement to critical projects like the Rooppur plant.

Comparing with the neighbouring countries, Bangladeshi cement’s quality is far batter. That is why our cement is exported to India. The demand for our cement is also growing in other countries.