PM to address rally on Padma Bridge opening day

The much-awaited Padma Bridge will open for public 25 June. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the bridge from the Mawa point of Munsiganj and will traverse the Jajira point where she will speak at a grand rally, her first public appearance in the south-western part since late 2018.

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will address a rally at Elias Ahmed Chowdhury ghat of Shibchar in Madaripur at 11am," reports Dhaka Tribune quoting Chief Whip of Parliament Noor-E-Alam Chowdhury Liton

The bridge department and the local government are taking preparation to make the occasion successful.

Bridge Department high-up and officials of the Special Security Forces (SSF) visited various areas at Jajira point and Kathalbari on May 15.  

The multipurpose bridge, a dream project of the ruling party connecting the Mawa point of Munshiganj and the Jajira point of Shariatpur, will make the journey easier for commuters and freight vehicles, and gradually boost the country's GDP by 1.3-2%.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) has already formed 18 preparatory committees and sub-committees to celebrate the completion of the mega project.

The premier is set to inaugurate the Padma Bridge in Munshiganj through a colourful ceremony at 10am on June 25, within less than seven years since she laid the foundation stone of the 6.15km-long two-storey bridge.

The government has spent nearly over Tk80,000 crore so far to develop road and rail connectivity under the much-hyped project.

Establishing a rail link through the lower deck of the bridge and the river training works are likely to be completed in June next year, according to project officials. The toll rates for different types of vehicles have been announced, starting from Tk100 for motorcycles and Tk750 for cars and jeeps.

"People are eagerly waiting to receive the prime minister in a festive manner on this historic day," said Liton, a fifth-time MP from Madaripur-1.

Sheikh Hasina attended the last public meeting in this part of the country during the election campaigns in 2018.

At the ground-breaking ceremony on December 12, 2015, Sheikh Hasina termed it a “Red Letter Day” for the people of the country and a day of happiness, especially for those in southern Bangladesh. She said her government remained firm to build the dream bridge ignoring all propaganda.