'Tk50,000cr saved in Padma Bridge compared to Hardinge Bridge'

Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud has said the government has saved Taka 30,000 to 50,000 crore in 6.15 km Padma Bridge construction compared to construction cost of 1.8km Hardinge Bridge.

He said this in the general discussion on budget in Jatiya Sangsad on Monday, reports BSS.

Presenting an account, he said construction of 1.8 kilometer long Hardinge Bridge on river Padma at Pakshey point under Ishwardi upazila in Pabna ended in 1915 and the works began in 1910.

Standard of value of anything is determined on the basis of gold rate and at the period of opening of Hardinge Bridge, there was no system of determining standard of value in dollar, he mentioned.

Hasan, also Awami League joint general secretary, said the Hardinge Bridge was built at a cost of 4 crore 75 lakh 50 thousand rupees and gold rate for per 10 gram was 18.98 rupees which is now Taka 68,000.

If in that account the 1.8 Hardinge Bridge was built, it would have needed Taka 17,035 crore, he said.

Hardinge Bridge is 1.8 kilometer long while Padma Bridge is 6.15 kilometer meant it is three times longer than Hardinge Bridge, he said.

If Hardinge Bridge is built similar to Padma Bridge's length, it will need Taka 98,000 as per gold rate, he said.

Hardinge Bridge is only a railway bridge but Padma Bridge is a multipurpose one having four-lane road on top and single track dual-gauge rail on the bottom as well as gas line and fiber optic cable.

He said if this is taking into account, it needs Taka 1,00,000 crore to build Hardinge Bridge similar to Padma Bridge.

"So, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has saved Taka 30,000 to 50,000 crore in Padma Bridge construction compared to cost of Hardinge Bridge construction," he said.

The minister urged BNP to refute his remarks logically.

He said the construction works of the 7.18 kilometer San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge in California, the USA began in 1999 and ended after 14 years in 2013.

In 1999, the estimated cost was $1 billion but it stood at $ 6.5 billion in 2013 after increasing the cost by around 6.5 times and if it ended in 2022, it would need $12 billion, he mentioned.

So, it can be understood easily how much money the premier saved in Padma Bridge construction, he said.

He said Padma Bridge was opened two days ago which is a symbol of the country's capacity as well as emotions and love of the people.

Padma Bridge is symbol of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's courage to implement the mega project defying all local and international conspiracies, the minister said.

He said the country's biggest self-financed Padma Bridge has been possible because of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

When the project was taken, the World Bank scrapped its loan for Padma Bridge construction raising allegations of corruptions but Canadian court didn't find any base of the allegations and evidence of corruption.

In 2011, Padma Bridge project cost was estimated at around $ 2.75 billion dollar, the information minister said.

Of the amount, Bangladesh sought $ 1.2 billion loan from the World Bank and rest from other donor agencies, he said.

Hasan said today the project was implemented at a cost of $ 3.25 billion as per standard of value of dollar now, he said.

As per standard of value of dollar of that period, it was $ 2.75 billion but the works ended at $ 3.25 billion dollar as per present standard of value of dollar, the information and broadcasting minister said.