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With the opening of the Padma Bridge on June 25, 2022, the lotus of Bangladesh’s potential will blossom. The bridge will help overcome the riverine isolation of the capital from the southwestern part of the country. Earlier, when someone said there would be a bridge over this river, people doubted the person’s sanity. Today, if he denies the reality, people will reprobate the person. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, has guided the country into achieving a remarkable feat. Bangladesh has built the Padma Bridge by challenging the World Bank with great courage. The country has proved that everything is possible if there is honesty and dedication.
The communication system plays an essential role in the economic development of any country. The development activities of a country revolve around the communication system. Improving the communication system makes moving agricultural products, raw materials, and manufactured goods more economical. A sound communication system is a vital tool for economic development. With the establishment of the Padma Bridge, the wheel of the economy of the southwestern region will turn rapidly. The standard of living and employment will increase.
Mawa of Munshiganj will touch one end of the bridge, and Jajira of Shariatpur will connect the other end. As a result of the construction of this bridge, the southwestern part of the country will become one of the major manufacturing hubs. It will create employment for millions of people. Bangladesh’s first integrated communication system will be developed around the Padma Bridge. The southwestern region is already rich in the agricultural sector. Once this bridge is completed, their agrarian products will easily reach Dhaka. There will be connectivity with Mongla and Payra ports and Benapole land port. This will have positive impact on the economy of the whole country. This bridge will play a huge role in all fields, including agriculture, industry, economy, education, trade, etc. This bridge will be the first integrated communication system in Bangladesh. The construction of the bridge will change people’s lives in the southwestern region of the country.
Once the construction of the Padma Bridge is completed, the communication system of the capital with the South will be further improved. It can be used for tourism in the southern islands like Kuakata and the small islands adjoining the Sundarbans. Kuakata Beach, Sundarbans, and Payra have massive tourism potential. It is possible to create attractive tourism spots like the Maldives, centring on different chars and islands in the South. Once the construction of the Padma Bridge is completed, it will be possible to reach Sundarbans and Kuakata in less time than Cox’s Bazar. While it takes 10-12 hours to reach Cox’s Bazar, Kuakata can be reached in just eight hours, undoubtedly increasing the tourist presence significantly. The launch of a bullet train has been mentioned in the long-term plan. In that case, world-class communication system will be introduced in Kuakata and several islands in the vicinity.
Many local and foreign companies have already started investing in and around the Payra Port of Patuakhali. With the bridge in operation, the GDP growth rate will increase by 1.2 per cent. And every year, poverty will decline. Through this, the Padma Bridge will change the fate of about 70 million people in 21 districts of the South for economic and social development. At one time ‘manga’ was observed in the northern part of the country. Now manga has become a thing of the past. Bangabandhu Bridge continues to play an essential role in eradicating manga in the northern region.
Similarly, the southern part of the country is still lagging behind in terms of industrial development. People from several districts in the area are living below the poverty line. When Padma Bridge starts its operations, the backward people will benefit first. Because for the welfare of the Padma bridge, there will be massive industrialization in those areas, and there will be employment for millions of people. People’s income will increase, and their livelihood will change. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge will not only change the economy of the southwest, but of the whole of Bangladesh. It is hoped that the bridge will play an essential role in many areas of South Asia and Southeast Asia, including communications, trade, and tourism.
All in all, this bridge will become the dream bridge of the country’s people. In addition, the bridge will be part of the Trans-Asian Railway in the future. Then freight trains will run much more than the passenger trains. The train will run with a double container. Mongla and Payra ports will be connected with Dhaka and Chattogram. The new golden dream will be added to the economy and this bridge will play a huge role in the country’s growth. This bridge will undoubtedly play an important role in making Bangladesh a developed country. The future of Bangladesh will revolve around this bridge.
For the country’s people, the Padma Bridge is not just a big bridge; it is the name of an adventurous dream. Challenging the mighty World Bank, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said, ‘We will build the Padma Bridge with our own money.” The plan to build a bridge for a least developed country at the cost of Taka 30,193 crore without any foreign aid was an adventurous move. And so this steel structure not only connected the other side of the Padma but also for the national life is a historic achievement. The bridge will be a symbol of trust and confidence among the country’s people as opposed to relying on foreign aid for development projects. This achievement will undoubtedly give courage and inspiration to Third World countries to come out of the debt of foreign companies. Bangabandhu said in his historic speech on March 7, ‘No one can oppress the people of Bengal.’ The Padma Bridge will be a stepping stone to the dream of uninterrupted travel and economic development for millions of people in the country’s southwest.
The writer is a freelance contributor. He can be contacted at
