Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the main construction work of the much-awaited 6.15-km Padma Multipurpose Bridge on Saturday morning. Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the river training work of the dream bridge at Janzira of Shariatpur and unveiled the plaque of the main construction work of the bridge at Mawa point in Munshiganj. The government is building the Padma Bridge, the country’s largest infrastructure, with its own fund of Tk 2807.93 billion. About a quarter of the country’s population living in the southwest region will directly benefit from the 6.15-kilometre bridge as the travel time to and from Dhaka city will be cut short to about one-fourth of what it is now. Apart from shortening travel time, it will help give a major boost to trade and economic activities in the country. The work on the Padma Bridge is broadly divided into five parts — the main bridge, river training, two link roads and infrastructure (service area) construction. The China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Corporation was appointed for the construction of the main bridge, while China’s Sinohydro Corporation for the river training. Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) and Korea Expressway Corporation and Associates are supervising the bridge construction. Assuming office in 1996, the Awami League government initiated the project in 1998 for the first time. After returning to power in 2009, it revived the initiative. Though the World Bank initially proposed funding much of the project, Bangladesh withdrew the funding request after the global lender raised a stink over alleged corruption. In 2014, the government signed contracts with the two Chinese companies for the construction of the main bridge and the river training work. –Janzira (Shariatpur), Dec 12 (UNB)
