Hasina makes surprise visit to Padma bridge

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her younger sister Sheikh Rehana on Friday made a surprise visit to the Padma bridge that has set a milestone in the country's development trajectory.

The prime minister reached the Padma bridge in a convoy around 7:23am and walked about 2 kilometres from pillar-7 to pillar-18 with her sister during the visit. Later, they had breakfast at Service Area-2 at Jazira Point. The prime minister left for Dhaka around 10:00am.

Dewan Abdul Quader, executive engineer of the Padma bridge project, said the prime minister was very happy seeing the progress of the bridge, the much-awaited dream project of the nation.

Cabinet secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam, deputy commissioner of Munshiganj Kazi Nahid Rasul and Shariatpur deputy commissioner Md Parvez Hasan were also present during Sheikh Hasina's visit.

On 26 December, road transport and bridges minister Obaidul Quader said the eye-catching bridge will be inaugurated in June 2022 as per the target. The prime minister inaugurated the construction work on the mega project on 12 December 2015.

China Major Bridge Engineering Corporation (MBEC) was appointed for the main bridge work. The steel material bridge's length is 6.15km, viaduct 3.148km (road), 532m (rail), approach road - 12.117km, and span - 41 (with each span being 150 metres long).