Staff Correspondent: The much-anticipated Padma Bridge will be named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader. He also said that a summary in this regard has already been sent to the Prime Minister.
The Awami League General Secretary said, "Many letters have been received from various socio-cultural organizations regarding the naming of the bridge, and everyone is of the opinion that the bridge should be named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
Obaidul Quader told reporters at the bridge project area in Mawa, Munshiganj on Saturday.
The minister said that the ministry has country email list written to the ministry regarding the naming of the bridge as 'Sheikh Hasina-Padma Seth' and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority has taken a decision on it. A summary has been sent to the Prime Minister in this regard.
Quader said, "Regarding the naming of the Padma Bridge, Prime Minister and Bangabandhu's daughter Sheikh Hasina has repeatedly said that the bridge will be named after the Padma River. The Prime Minister has shown honesty and courage to prove that she is Bangabandhu's heroic daughter. That is why the bridge is being built with her own funds at a cost of Tk 31,000 crore. Many letters have been received from various socio-cultural organizations regarding the naming of the bridge, and everyone is of the opinion that the bridge should be named after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."
The World Bank stopped funding the Padma Bridge due to allegations of corruption. The Prime Minister had been saying from the beginning that the allegations were untrue. And he took a firm stand to build the bridge with his own funding, excluding the World Bank. Later, the allegations of corruption were proven false in a Canadian court.
The Bridges Minister said that after the World Bank withdrew from the Padma Bridge, Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina showed the courage to build the bridge with her own funds. I respect her courage. The Padma Bridge is the golden fruit of her single courage. This bridge is being built for her single contribution. I could not even dream that the bridge would be built without help. Therefore, I have decided to name this 6.15-kilometer-long Padma Bridge 'Sheikh Hasina-Padma Bridge.'
Regarding the progress of the bridge work, the minister said, "The overall progress of the Padma Bridge has reached 59 percent and the progress of the main bridge has reached 70 percent. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate 60 percent of the work by visiting the project area on October 13."
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction of this much-discussed bridge in December 2017. Work is underway with the goal of completing it by December this year. However, due to differences in the structure of the ground below, the design of 11 pillars has to be redesigned. Therefore, it is quite certain that the bridge will be completed on time. Although the new target has not been set yet.
Project Director Shafiqul Islam, Padma Bridge Project Engineer Dewan Abdul Quader and others were present during the Bridge Minister's inspection of the bridge project area in Mawa area of Munshiganj.