Bangladesh: PM Sheikh Hasina inaugurates 'symbol of pride & dignity' Padma bridge

Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina was brimming with emotions as she inaugurated the landmark Padma Bridge on Saturday after years of wait. Built with total domestic funding, PM Hasina asserted that the 6.15 km multi-purpose bridge is not just a pile of cement and brick but a "symbol of pride, dignity and capacity" of Bangladesh. Speaking at the inaugural ceremony, the leader expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the completion of the project.

"I have no complaints against anyone, but I think today, this bridge, will boost the confidence of those who called it a 'pipe-dream,'" PM Hasina said, as quoted by PTI.

The Padma bridge has been constructed across the Padma river to connect southwestern Bangladesh with the capital city Dhaka and other parts of the country. Stretched over 6.15 km, the bridge was built with $3.6 billion from domestic resources. Delayed by at least 2 years, the bridge stands tall against the scepticism of financial experts who questioned Dhaka's capability to procure funds internally to complete the bridge. "The bridge is not just a pile of bricks, cement, iron, and concrete. This is our pride, a symbol of our capacity and our strength and dignity," she added. "This bridge that overcame many obstacles and broke the web of conspiracies belongs to 170 million people of Bangladesh," she added.

The Padma project came across turbulence on multiple occasions. Initially, it was supposed to be funded by a consortium led by the World Bank. However, the allotment was cancelled owing to credible evidence of corruption over the funding, as analysed by the financial body. "The construction was actually delayed due to the false and conspiratorial allegation of corruption brought by the World Bank which was the main financier of the project along with the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Islamic Development Bank (IDB), and Japan," a Bangladesh PMO official said, as quoted by ANI. Eventually, Dhaka refrained from seeking external resources and decided to complete the humongous project by itself.

India lauds Bangladesh on the inauguration of Padma Bridge

The Indian Embassy in Bangladesh on Friday congratulated Dhaka for the successful completion of the Padma Bridge. In a statement, the Indian Embassy in Dhaka extended felicitations to Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. "The completion of this much-awaited project testifies to the courageous decision and visionary leadership of Hon'ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina," the Embassy said. . India also highlighted that the opening of the bridge in the 50th year of Bangladesh's independence will also significantly improve the country's inter-connectivity, providing necessary logistics and business momentum to connect the common areas between India and Bangladesh. "The bridge will play an important role in enhancing our bilateral and sub-regional connectivity," the statement said.

(With PTI & ANI inputs)

(Image: AP/I_Pallab/Twitter)