All about Bangladesh's largest bridge | The Hindu

This is the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, the largest bridge in Bangladesh. It was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on June 25.

She called the bridge “a symbol of pride” for the country.

The foundation stone of the Padma Multipurpose bridge was laid by PM Hasina herself 20 years ago. It was built at a cost of $3.6 billion. The main structure of the bridge is 6.15 km long and 22 m wide.

It has a four-lane highway and is accompanied by 12 km of access roads to connect neighbouring districts. It seeks to connect nearly 30 million people living in the country’s less-developed southwestern region with the capital Dhaka and other areas.

The lower level of the bridge has a railway track, which is expected to be opened by 2024.

This railway line will drastically reduce the travel time between India and Bangladesh.

The government estimates that the Padma Bridge will boost the country’s GDP by 1.2%.

Building a bridge over the Padma river has been Bangladesh’s most ambitious project.

The project was financed by the Bangladesh government. However, a few days before the inauguration, an upcoming event aimed to link the Padma Bridge with China’s Belt and Road Initiative. The Belt and Road Initiative is China’s multi-billion-dollar initiative aimed at financing and building infrastructure projects, especially in developing countries.

In response, Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Ministry issued a statement denying this link. They said that the bridge was financed by the government without any loan assistance from abroad.

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