Bangabandhu Bridge raises Tk 64 billion in two decades of tolls

The Bangabandhu Bridge, which spans the Jamuna River, has raised Tk 64.34 billion in tolls since its start more than two decades ago, according to Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader.

Development partners who lent money for the construction of the bridge will be repaid by 2034, he added in response to a question from Bogura-5 MP Habibar Rahman in parliament on Sunday.

Of the Tk 64.34 billion in tolls since the completion of the bridge in 1998, about Tk 41.04 billion has been spent on its management, maintenance and debt service.

The minister also provided a breakdown of the toll income for the bridge by the fiscal year:

Fiscal year	In millions of taka
1997-98	9.9
1998-99	612.7
1999-00	669.4
2000-01	828.4
2001-02	935.8
2002-03	1,087.2
2003-04	1,310.8
2004-05	1,520
2005-06	1,579.7
2006-07	1,737.6
2007-08	2,019.6
2008-09	2,144.2
2009-10	2,429.9
2010-11	2,691
2011-12	3,062.3
2012-13	3,279.8
2013-14	3,253.8
2014-15	3,511.4
2015-16	4,048.8
2016-17	4,865.2
2017-18	4,865.2
2018-19	5,438
2019-20	5,753.4
2020-21 (up to May 2021)	5,602.8

“The Bangabandhu Bridge cost Tk 37.45 billion to build,” Quader said in response to a question from Jatiya Party Gaibandha-6 MP Shameem Haider Patwary.

“The earnings from the bridge are used for maintenance and to repay the loans from development partners who supported its construction. But, as the exchange rate for foreign currency has more than doubled, the amortisation schedule says the loans from development partners will be repaid through toll income by, approximately, 2034.”