Desk Report:

It’s really truth that the achievement has become more than the expectation in the last two years after inauguration of the country’s largest Padma Bridge. It has brought a revolutionary change in the country’s communication and economic sector. Once, people of the southern districts use water way for their movement which used to spend additional time and money. But now, they use Padma bridge for their quick movement.

Since the time immemorial, the mighty Padma River had posed an immense challenge to maintaining smooth communication with the southern part of the country, but that situation changed after the Padma Bridge was launched two years ago.

Earlier, one had to wait for hours at the river ports for a launch or ferry to travel between Dhaka and the southern districts, which typically caused numerous sufferings. By the time the passengers of this route reached their destinations, they were tired from long waits, uncertainty of getting a vessel on time, and changing vehicles. One bridge changed everything.

As a result of the Padma Bridge, the communication between the southern region and the rest of the country has become way smoother than it was before. In addition to that, the bridge has also invigorated economic activities in the southern region.

On 25 June 2022, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the Padma Bridge, the dream of the people of the country. Traffic movement on the bridge started a day after that.

Transport expert Md Hadiuzzaman, professor of the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) said, “The Padma Bridge has brought a transformation in the transportation of the south-western region which is now visible. The number of vehicles currently using the bridge is double the expected number. That means more people are travelling through the bridge, benefitting from it than expected.

“In other words, this bridge has appeared as an important transportation corridor. However, mega projects should be converted into economic corridors rather than transportation corridors. More work should be done in this regard. If the entire country wants to benefit from the Padma Bridge, an inner ring road has to be built, because there is no scope to increase the capacity of Hanif flyover. Once the inner ring road is completed, it will be easy to connect the south-western region with the northern region.”

Bridge toll collection in 2 years Tolls are fixed for 13 types of vehicles crossing the bridge. From 26 June 2022 to 23 June 2024, over Tk1,645 crore has been earned from toll at Padma Bridge, as more than 1.24 crore vehicles crossed the bridge.

Bridges Division officials said the toll collected from the bridge was almost three times more than what was predicted before opening the bridge.

The government constructed the 6.15 km long Padma Bridge at a cost of around Tk32,605 crore with its own funding. The Finance Division loaned the bridge construction cost to the Bridges Division, which will repay it in 140 quarterly instalments with 1% interest over the next 35 years.

In July 2012, the Bangladesh government decided to build the Padma Bridge with its own funds. The main construction work of the bridge began on 26 November 2014.

Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project Director Md Shafiqul Islam said, “It is a big achievement for us that people are benefitting from the Padma Bridge. This has many social and economic effects. This bridge is a milestone for our country. I think this is the highest achievement in the field of construction. The project is due to expire in June 2024. Already, all the works including river control for the bridge have been completed.”

TRAVEL DISTANCE REDUCED

Most of the people who previously used to go to the southern districts from Dhaka via Paturia ferry ghat, are currently using the Padma Bridge, as it cuts travel distance, time and cost.

After the launch of the Padma Bridge, communication with the country’s southern part has changed completely. Transport business has expanded and new luxury buses have started plying the routes leading to southern districts including Khulna.

Many people living near the banks of Padma can now finish their jobs on the other side of it in a day and return home in the afternoon, thanks to the Padma Bridge, which was previously unthinkable.

Shubhankar Ghosh Rakesh, joint general secretary of Bus-Truck Owners Association and managing director of Shyamoli NR Travels, said, “The Dhaka-Khulna route was not so easy to travel before the Padma Bridge was launched. Passengers had to wait for hours at the Mawa ferry ghat. Now passengers can go from Dhaka to Khulna in four hours.”

TRAIN OVER PADMA MAKES DREAM COME TRUE

Railway over the Padma Bridge was launched on 10 October 2023, fulfilling another dream of the people of that region.

Bangladesh Railway is constructing a 172 km long rail track from Dhaka to Jashore under the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project. An 82 km section of the track connecting Dhaka and Bhanga was opened on 10 October and the remaining section connecting Jashore was scheduled to open in June 2024.

Currently six trains are running between Dhaka and different destinations in the southern region via the Padma Bridge. Once the rail line from Bhanga to Jashore is completed, train movement on this route will increase, said sources.