Padma Bridge will be inaugurated in June, says Obaidul Quader

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge is on track for inauguration in June in keeping with a previous announcement, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader has said.

Speaking to reporters at his home in Noakhali on Thursday, Quader said: “The date for the inauguration of the Padma bridge has not been deferred. It’ll be inaugurated in June.”

Citing Quader, the ministry in a statement on Apr 4 said the bridge would be open in June.

Two days later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said in parliament the bridge would be open to traffic in December.

Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam had blamed the Ukraine-Russia war for the delay at that time.

Anwarul said the war had hampered the arrival of some of the equipment for the construction of the bridge from Europe with the conflict affecting shipment of goods heavily. The shipments had already been delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"Actually, the official schedule for the completion of the Padma bridge is December 2022. We're trying to get it done earlier if possible,” he said.

After a long tug-of-war with the World Bank, Hasina announced in February 2013 that Bangladesh would build its largest infrastructure with own money.

Then on Dec 12, 2015, she flagged off the construction of the bridge. In December 2020, the bridge came into full view with the installation of the final span.