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Published : 25 Jun 2022, 09:13 AM
The first segment of the inaugural ceremony is playing out on Saturday at the Mawa end of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge where the prime minister will release a commemorative postal stamp and souvenir sheet. She is also scheduled to unveil the inaugural plaque and Mural-1 at the toll plaza.
The prime minister boarded a helicopter at the old airport in Dhaka’s Tejgaon at 9:30 am and arrived at the inauguration stage at 10 am.
She was joined on stage by Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Alam, Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader and Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project Director Shafiqul Alam.
Nearly 3,000 invited guests, including foreign diplomats, ministers and senior Awami League leaders joined Hasina in celebrating the inauguration of the government-funded bridge at the venue.
Among the guests were Speaker of the House Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Hasan Foez Siddique, World Bank Country Director for Bangladesh Mercy Tembon, Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Vikram K Doraiswami, and Gonoshasthaya Kendra Trustee Dr Zafrullah Chowdhury.
It is an honour to have taken part in the 1971 Liberation War and still be here to see the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, said Dr Zafrullah.
“I have seen a lot of history with my own eyes. I had the privilege of serving in the Liberation War. Today I have the chance to take part in these celebrations.”
He thanked Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for turning down calls to name the bridge ‘Hasina Bridge’ to commemorate her achievement.
“The prime minister has done a great thing. She has proven her tremendous wisdom. She is as wise today as her father was on Mar 7.”
Now that her great work is accomplished, the prime minister should turn her attention to the needs of the people, the Gonoshasthaya Kendra founder said.
“She must now turn her attention to the most vulnerable people. I wish her a long life and good health. Let us work together and keep the dream of a beautiful Bangladesh alive.”
For the second segment, Hasina and her entourage will travel to the Zajira end of the bridge and unveil the inaugural plaque and Mural-2 there.
Hasina is expected to join a rally organised by the Awami League at Madaripur’s Kathalbari.
The bridge will open to traffic on Sunday.
President Abdul Hamid has issued a separate message congratulating Bangladeshis to mark the occasion.
Both sides of the bridge and surrounding areas and roads were decorated with colourful festoons and banners highlighting Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina ahead of the inauguration.
The World Bank was supposed to finance part of the construction of the Padma Bridge. A decade ago, Bangladesh finalised a $1.2 billion loan contract for the project at an initial estimated cost of $2.9 billion. But the Washington-based agency suspended its loan after raising complaints of corruption over the appointment of consultants for the bridge.
Uncertainty loomed over the project after the World Bank pulled out in 2012. Later, the Bangladesh government, which repeatedly denied the allegations, went ahead with its self-funded plan for the bridge.
A decade later, the bridge opens on Saturday, connecting people on both sides of the Padma River.
[This is a developing story. Check back for updates]
