Development goals of the Padma Bridge

The Padma bridge, which will be inaugurated on June 25,  2022, has created high hopes for leading toward an intense market integration within the economy. Keeping the august occasion in mind, politicians, business leaders, economists, and civil society members have observed that economic activities in the southwestern parts have been increasing gradually. As a result, many industrialists from home and abroad are purchasing lands in several districts, especially in Faridpur, Madaripur, Shariatpur, Bagerhat, Gopalganj, and Khulna.

Once it is completed, they hope that the bridge will initiate an economic revolution in the country’s 21 southwestern districts. They believe that Padma Bridge will help connect many South and Southeast Asian countries. And contribute immensely to communication, trade, industry, tourism, and many other sectors in various ways. .They urged the government to outline a proper strategy to avail the full potential of the much-vaunted bridge, particularly for the southwestern region. The prerequisite for the development of different regions of a state is to build an improved communication system for those regions. In the 1980s and 1990s, special efforts were made to develop the overall communication system of Bangladesh.

Along with the development of the country’s road system, there is a need to build bridges over large rivers. A 4.8 km long Bangabandhu Bridge was constructed over the river Jamuna for accessible communication between the capital and the eastern part of the country and the northern and north-western parts. The Padma Bridge will be a majestic two-level steel truss bridge with a two-way four-lane roadway on top and a single-track railway at the bottom. With the launch of this bridge, communication with 21 southern region districts will be more accessible. According to the economic impact analysis of the Padma Bridge, the construction of the bridge will facilitate communication, expansion of trade and commerce, and the establishment of small and medium enterprises in the south, and the country’s GDP will grow 1.2 per cent a year and the southern region’s GDP can grow at 2.5 per cent.

The bridge’s construction will improve the country’s integrated communication system. Mawa-Bhanga-Jashore-Khulna rail link will be established from Dhaka. Khulna, Mongla, Barishal, Kuakata. Economic Corridor will be established from Dhaka. The southern part of the country will be connected with Trans-Asian Highway (N-6) and Trans-Asian Railway. Direct communication with India, Bhutan, and Nepal will be established, and transportation of passengers and goods will be facilitated. With the establishment of new economic zones and high-tech parks, domestic and foreign investment will be attracted, and industrialization of the country will be accelerated. Reliable infrastructure plays a key role in economic growth. Studies have found positive relationship between infrastructure and economic output in many countries. This happens through gross domestic capital formation, employment, trade and human capital. Good infrastructure enhances productive capacity and improves competitiveness of a country. There is ample evidence that infrastructure and output are mutually beneficial. Infrastructure boosts output, and higher output also leads to better infrastructure. The Padma Bridge will benefit about three crore people across the southwestern districts of Bangladesh. These districts will be connected with the growth centres through better connectivity. They can be used as economic corridors. This will create opportunities for employment and income. The transportation system will be improved as the movement of people will increase. Supply chains within the country will be connected better. Goods and services will move smoothly from one place to another. People from the southwestern parts of the country are also expected to have better access to education, healthcare and other services.

People will move to the urban areas easily and opportunities will also come to the rural areas. This will change the rural economy, which is already undergoing transformation. The share of the agriculture sector to the country’s GDP has declined significantly with the emergence of non-farm activities in the rural areas. This was facilitated by several factors, including better communication and connectivity.

The Padma Bridge is a testament to how a country with limited resources can achieve its goal if there is determination. Under the leadership of Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Padma Bridge is the outcome of the dedicated work of the Bangladeshi people, including government officials, engineers, planners, workers, and many others. Undoubtedly, the construction of this 6.15-kilometre-long double-deck bridge has enhanced the country’s confidence. This will allow policymakers to plan for larger infrastructure. This will also encourage foreign investors to invest in infrastructure and other sectors in Bangladesh. The bridge’s construction will have a substantial economic impact on the country. In a study report by Maunsell, the bridge’s design consultant, in 2010, the bridge’s Benefit-Cost Ratio (BCR) was 1.6 per cent. The Economic Internal Rate of Return (ERR) was 18 per cent. Add the cost of bridge construction. The BCR will be 2.1 and ERR 22 per cent. In other words, the construction of this bridge will be economically profitable. Dhaka’s communication with 21 southern districts will be reduced by 2 to 4 hours. The direct connectivity with the capital will help expand trade and commerce, and ease the supply of raw materials and industrialization. Small and big industries will be set up in the 21 districts. Agriculture will greatly improve. Farmers will get better commodity prices.

According to a survey report, the economic impact of the bridge will help increase the annual GDP of the south by 2.0 per cent and the overall GDP of the country by more than 1.0 per cent. The construction of the bridge will improve the integrated communication structure of the country. The country’s southern part will connect to the Trans-Asian Highway (N-8) and the Trans-Asian Railway. Bangladesh will have international connectivity with India, Bhutan, and Nepal. Economic zones, high-tech parks, and private industrial cities will be built on both sides of the bridge. Investment and employment will increase. Mongla and Payra seaports will be operational. The tourism industry will flourish, and new and old tourist destinations, including Kuakata beach in the southern region, the Sundarbans, the sixty-domed mosque, Bangabandhu Mazar in Tungipara, and old and new resorts at Mawa and Jazira will attract domestic and foreign tourists. According to the 2010 estimates, 12,000 vehicles were crossing the Padma river. The traffic can double whe the bridge becomes operational and the number of vehicles will increase by 7-8 per cent every year; by 2050, 67,000 vehicles will run. Padma Multipurpose Bridge was the most prioritized fast-track project among the ongoing mega projects in Bangladesh. This project will be the most significant infrastructure to help with the socio-economic development of millions of people in the country’s southwestern part. The Padma Multipurpose Bridge is ranked 122nd among other longest bridges globally, with pillars having a diameter of 3 meters in radius and pilling being 128 meters deep, which is the deepest piling in the world. The bridge’s construction started in 2014, and the last 6.15 km long bridge span was laid in December 2021. The cost of this self-financed mega project in the country has been estimated at BDT 30,193.39 crore.

Students from rural areas have to come for higher studies in Dhaka. Critical patients must be brought to big cities for treatment despite clinics at district and sub-district levels. Professionals and doctors do not want to live outside Dhaka. In many districts, there are medical colleges and universities. Still, those places are not the desired destinations due to a lack of other essential amenities. Because Dhaka is the centre of all economic, administrative, social, and cultural activities, people cannot do without living in and around this mega city. This is hindering the development of the rural areas.

Some additional features have been added to this bridge that was not originally planned. Also, the devaluation of the taka against the US dollar has pushed the cost upwards. But how efficiently resources have been used and how wastage of resources has been managed should also be considered. These will be the lessons for future infrastructure development. The high cost of the bridge has led to an increase in the toll for crossing the bridge. Higher transportation costs will raise commodity prices. Cost escalation of the bridge could also delay the project cost recovery. Therefore, once the bridge is fully functional, monitoring and evaluating the infrastructure will be critical to get the expected return. The construction of the bridge has been a landmark achievement of the government.

The writer is a UK based researched. He can be contacted at [email protected]