By Mir Afroz Zaman, POBNEWS24, Dhaka, June 20, 2022 : On June 25, 2022, at 10 am, Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the Padma Bridge built with the financial support of the whole of Bangladesh.
The much-awaited bridge will connect 21 districts of South Bengal and North Bengal. The capital Dhaka can be reached in just three hours by road from Barisal.
Besides, it will take only five minutes to cross the Padma bridge.
The journey from Kolkata to Dhaka-Jessore will be more easier. Now journey from Benapole to Petropol takes 45 minutes from Jessore. Sealdah is two hours from Bangaon. As such, Dhaka to Kolkata can be reached in 5 to 5 and a half hours. At present, the bus takes at least 12 hours.
The fate of the people of 21 districts of South Bengal will be changed through the Padma Bridge. Barisal and Khulna districts will move forward on the path of becoming economically self-sufficient besides enrolling on the development highway. That is why, now the tide of joy is flowing all over the southern region.
Recently Indian journalists came to Bangladesh. They have visited all the tourism sectors in Bangladesh. They were surprised to see the Padma bridge. “Is this Bangladesh? Has the country developed so much in 12 years? They have asked such questions to the people of Bangladesh. The journalists also got the answer.
Since the announcement of the date of inauguration of the Padma Bridge, a wave of joy has been flowing in the entire northern and southern regions including Dhaka-Munshiganj-Barisal-Khulna. The whole of Bangladesh is floating in the tide of joy.
Rafiqul Islam, a resident of Kuakata who came to see the Padma Bridge, said, “It was once our dream to travel by road from Kuakata to Dhaka.
As there are bridges on all the rivers except Padma, now I can travel from Dhaka to Kuakata in 8 to 8 and a half hours. And now if the Padma bridge is opened, this time will be reduced by at least 3 more hours’.
Rahim Mia, a rent-a-car driver from Barisal who came to Mawa, said, ‘The distance from Barisal to Dhaka via Banglabazar is only 170 kilometers. It takes 2 hours to reach Banglabazar. The Buriganga Bridge can be reached in 40 minutes from Shimulia. It only takes 3-4 hours to cross the Padma by ferry. Once the bridge is opened, you can cross the Padma in just 5 minutes. It used to take 7-8 hours to go to Dhaka, now we can reach the capital Dhaka in just 3 hours’.
Imrul Kaysar, a resident of Shariatpur, said, “I will come home when the bridge is opened. I will go to Dhaka in the morning and return in the afternoon. I can’t describe how happy it is”.
Incidentally, the construction of the Padma Bridge started in December 2014.
On September 30, 2017, the first span was installed on the 37th and 38th poles and the dream Padma Bridge became visible. After that, by placing 42 spans of 150 meters length on 42 pillars one by one, the 6.15 km long Padma bridge became fully visible on December 10, 2020.
