PM to inaugurate Padma Bridge June 25: Obaidul

The road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader on Tuesday said that prime minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the much-awaited Padma Multipurpose Bridge for traffic on June 25.

Talking to reporters in front of the Gana Bhaban, he said that the prime minister would inaugurate the bridge at 10:00am on the day.

The prime minister, however, did not sign a proposal for naming the bridge after her, he said.

Before briefing the reporter, he submitted two summaries to the prime minister at Gana Bhaban.

‘She signed the summary on the inauguration date for the bridge,’ he said.

Obaidul also said that the prime minister did not sign another summary on naming the bridge after her.

‘The prime minister said that the bridge will be named after the river Padma while she will not let to name bridge after the name of someone else,’ he said.

He also told reporters that a citizens’ rally would be held at Mawa side on June 25.

Earlier proposals were sent to the prime minister for naming the bridge after her.

The Bangladesh Bridge Authority is implementing the 6.15-kilometre road-cum-rail Padma Bridge between Mawa point in Munshiganj and Janjira point in Shariatpur to connect the capital with 21 south and south-western districts of the country.

Hasina inaugurated the construction work of the bridge in December 2015.

The project deadline was extended till June 2022 and, in 2018, the project cost shot up to Tk 30,193 crore from the initial estimated cost of Tk 10,161 crore.

Till May 10, overall the bridge project had made 93.5 per cent progress.

The progress in the work on the main bridge was 98 per cent, he said, adding that river training works saw 92 per cent progress while 91 per cent of carpeting works on the main bridge were completed.

News Courtesy:

https://www.newagebd.net/article/171397/pm-to-inaugurate-padma-bridge-june-25-obaidul