Dhaka: Many amazing bridges have been built in the world. Now the name Bangladesh is also going to be added to it. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Padma Bridge. For the world, it is like a common bridge, in which there will be a 6-lane road above and railway tracks below. But for Bangladesh, this is a big step toward its golden future. This longest and most challenging bridge in Bangladesh is being considered a symbol of nationality. This bridge, about 6 km long, will connect the south-western areas of the country with the mainstream. Due to this, ease of movement, a spurt in trade, and Bangladesh’s economy are expected to get a boost. This bridge is so important for the government that it is expected to increase the country’s GDP by 1.23 percent due to its full commissioning.
This multipurpose rail-road bridge, 6.15 km long and 21.65 meters wide, is built on the Padma River, which is considered to be the largest and most dangerous river in Bangladesh. According to the Indian Express, 21 years ago the Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of this bridge. Since then, this bridge has faced many storms. The World Bank had earlier announced an aid of $ 1.2 billion for this. But the plan was canceled about a decade ago, alleging massive corruption in its construction. After this Bangladesh undertook its construction with its own money. The construction of the bridge started 7 years ago, the completion of which is no less than a dream. Right now only the movement of vehicles will be started on it. Trains are also expected to operate from March next year.
South-Western areas will connect with Dhaka
With the commencement of road transport on this, areas like Khulna, Jessore, and Barisal in the west will be directly connected to the capital Dhaka. The south-western regions of Bangladesh were forced to remain isolated due to the Padma River, which is now ready to join the mainstream. About 3 crore people living there will benefit from this. When the train service starts here, the distance from Kolkata to Dhaka in India will be just three and a half hours. This will not only increase the business with India, but passengers will also be able to reach easily and quickly through Maitree Express.
The strong advantage to the economy
Dr. Ashikur Rahman, Senior Economist, Policy Research in Dhaka, told the Indian Express about the importance of this bridge and said that by 2024, 24 thousand vehicles are expected to pass through it daily, which will increase to 67 thousand by 2050. ADB and other agencies estimate that due to this bridge, Bangladesh’s economy will increase by at least 1 percent. The GDP of the South-Western areas will increase by 2.3 percent. According to Dr. M Mansoor Rijaz, chairman of Bangladesh’s think tank Policy Exchange, this bridge will help bring the country to the upper-middle-income group countries. With this, the manufacturing, agribusiness, services, and logistics business is expected to generate a profit of $ 25 billion in the next 30 years.
Bridge of controversy
There have also been many controversies regarding this bridge built about 40 km south of Dhaka. There were serious allegations of corruption in its construction. The World Bank refused to give the money. After that, it was also accused of being part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The reason is that this bridge has been built by a company affiliated with China’s state-run China Railway Group. India has been expressing concern over China’s BRI projects. A project also passes through PoK. However, Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry recently clarified that the Padma bridge is not a part of the BRI. It has been completely made with the money of the Government of Bangladesh.
