POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Mar 30, 2022 : The government will open the Padma Bridge on June 30, said Cabinet Secretary Khandaker Anwarul Islam. He said there was a long meeting on the issue last Monday.
The Cabinet Secretary made the remarks at a workshop organized by the PPP authorities and the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) on the role, potential and challenges of public-private partnership (PPP) in sustainable development of Bangladesh. He mentioned the opening of the Padma Bridge while talking about the implementation of government projects.
Government ministers and project officials have been talking about opening the much-awaited Padma Bridge next June. This time, the cabinet secretary announced a specific date for a meeting.
The workshop was held at Hotel Radisson in Dhaka on Tuesday. It was attended by representatives of various government agencies.
There, the cabinet secretary said, the construction of Padma bridge and Karnafuli tunnel in Chittagong was not stopped for a single day due to Corona epidemic. A protection or biobubble was created. Work is going on in it.
Meanwhile, a statement from the PPP authorities said that the cabinet secretary had called for more focus on achieving the government’s vision-2041. He said it is important to avoid the use of the word ‘no’ and to say ‘yes’. The private sector needs to be more involved in the development process of the government. Because, they are much closer to technology. Emphasis should be placed on feasibility study of investment projects. This is the basis of the project. He said that feasibility study gives a clear idea about the feasibility of any project. At the same time, design and cost estimates are important for any project to understand how much it will cost.
Speaking on the occasion, Sultana Afroz, Chief Executive Officer of PPP Authority, said that Bangladesh is a very promising place for PPP. This reduces the financial pressure on the government and the budget deficit in the country’s infrastructural development. At the same time, it creates skills in infrastructural management and also plays a role in improving the living standards of the common man.
Auditor General and Comptroller Mohammad Muslim Chowdhury, Ambassador of Japan Ito Naoki, Ambassador of China Li Jimming, Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Isa Yousef Alduhailan and Ambassador of Turkey Mustafa Osman Turan were present on the occasion as special guests. AKDP Mamunur Rashid, UNDP Bangladesh Climate Change Specialist spoke on ‘Climate Smart PPP’ at the workshop.
