Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina on Saturday inaugurated the 6.15-km road-rail four-lane Padma Bridge, the country's biggest development project since its birth in 1971, that is expected to give the nation's development index a big boost and connect India directly to Dhaka, through road, rail and ports.
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'Symbol of pride': PM Hasina opens B'desh's longest bridge | page 14
Dhaka: The landmark Padma Bridge is not a pile of brick and cement but a symbol of Bangladesh's pride, capacity and dignity, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Saturday as she inaugurated the country's longest bridge entirely built with domestic funding.
The 6.15-km-long road-rail four-lane bridge is built over the Padma river connecting southwestern Bangladesh with the capital and other parts of the country. The multipurpose road-rail bridge, which is fully funded by the Bangladesh government, has been constructed at a cost of $3.6 billion.
The inauguration of the Padma bridge carries a lot of significance as the structure was built entirely with domestic financing, defying skepticism from some financial analysts if Bangladesh, which will only graduate from the UN's Least Developed Countries (LDC) list in 2026, could mobilise the fund depending on domestic resources.
Hasina expressed deep gratitude to the people involved with the construction of the Padma bridge.
"I have no complaints against anyone, but I reckon those who opposed the Padma Bridge construction plan and called it a 'pipe dream', lack self-confidence. I hope this bridge will boost their confidence," the PM said.
"This bridge is not just bricks, cement, iron, and concrete... This bridge is our pride, a symbol of our capacity, our strength and our dignity. This bridge belongs to the people of Bangladesh," she said. "It encapsulates our passion, creativity, courage, endurance and perseverance," she said.
She said the much-cherished bridge stands on the turbulent Padma river overcoming many obstacles and breaking the web of conspiracy. "Today, I am happy, proud, and overwhelmed along with millions of people of the country," said Hasina.
The project was initially expected to be funded by a consortium led by the World Bank. In 2012, it cancelled the proposed credit saying it had "credible evidence" of high-level corruption among Bangladeshi officials.
Bangladesh has all through denied these allegations and preferred not to approach the international global lender for funding.
