Three words come to mind when thinking about Padma Bridge, courage, determination and prosperity, said Li Jiming, ambassador of China to Bangladesh.
He gave a collective interview to share his views and thoughts on the Padma Multipurpose Bridge's inauguration, The Business Standard reports.
Reporters from 12 news agencies and television channels covered the event on Sunday (19 June). The event was held upon request of the Prime Minister's Office of Bangladesh, reads a press release.
"As the inauguration of the bridge draws closer, I would like to extend my warmest congratulations to the people and government of Bangladesh for this outstanding achievement!" said the ambassador.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the bridge has grown from a vision out of reach to a solid reality. Today, nobody will ever doubt that "Bangladesh can do it", he added.
Li Jiming said, "As Ambassador of China to Bangladesh, I feel particularly proud of and connected to the bridge, not only because it is built by a Chinese company, but also because it is a milestone of China-Bangladesh cooperation. In fact, whenever President Xi Jinping mentions Bangladesh, he mentions the Padma Bridge. News related to the bridge has also been covered by various TV channels in China."
"I believe that after the bridge is open to traffic, it will benefit the people of Bangladesh, it will contribute to the connectivity of South Asia, and it will serve as an everlasting bond of brotherhood between China and Bangladesh."
The Padma Bridge is a symbol of courage. Back in the days when the government of Bangladesh was conceiving the idea of the bridge, there were some complications regarding finance, technical viability and legitimacy of the plan.
Some partners from abroad didn't believe such a plan could ever materialise. Nevertheless, Prime Minister Sheikh steeled herself for all the doubts, pressures and allegations, and decided to build the bridge with Bangladesh's own finance, which required tremendous courage and a strong sense of political responsibility, said the ambassador.
In fact, at the very beginning, it wasn't easy for the Chinese company to decide whether or not to submit the tender either, he added.
There were strong competitions from France, South Korea and Singapore; the natural environment for the construction was tough and unfamiliar; the preliminary design wasn't fully completed, and most importantly, the Padma Bridge is so far the largest bridge Chinese companies had ever built outside China.
"So I think accepting the challenge was also a courageous step taken by the Chinese side", he added.
