Centring the inauguration ceremony of the much awaited Padma Bridge scheduled to be held on June 25, a festive atmosphere is prevailing on all the three banks of the Padma River.
Both, the government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party Bangladesh Awami League are busy with taking preparations for a grand celebration on the occasion of the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, said officials concerned.
According to sources concerned, apart from the grand celebration programme with huge gathering of mass people on the Madaripur end on the bank of River Padma, two other programmes would be held at the Munsiganj and Shariyatpur ends.
Besides, celebration programmes would also be held at all the 64 districts centring the inauguration of the Padma Bridge on the same day on June 25.
Moreover, a weeklong programme has been chalked out on the Madaripur end centring the Padma Bridge inauguration.
It should be mentioned that with the inauguration of this bridge, the long dream of the people of the country’s South and South Western parts is going to be fulfilled.
The long awaiting formal inauguration of the Padma Bridge by the government will be held at the Munsiganj end of the bridge, but the inaugural festival will be held at Kanthalbari end at Shibchar in Madaripur district through a massive gathering by the ruling Awami League.
Awami League leaders said that over 10 lakh people are expected to join the inaugural festival.
According to the sources, the government and the ruling party has taken the initiative to cash on the event of the iconic Padma Bridge as a success, which would help the victory of the AL in the next general election.
Besides, the inaugurations programme will be celebrated in a different manner and festive mood as the process of the construction of the country’s biggest ever bridge had been discussed at home and abroad even before the start of construction.
According to sources in the government, after the inauguration of Padma Bridge at Munshiganj end, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will cross the bridge and go to Jazira end. She will join a public meeting after unveiling the inaugural plaque in front of the toll plaza on the Jazira side. The inaugural public meeting stage at Kanthalbari in Shibchar, Madaripur will be in the form of a sailing boat.
"The inaugural festival at Khathalbari will be held under tight security. There would be CCTV footage from Jajira in Shariatpur to Bhanga in Faridpur on the day," Awami League (AL) joint general secretary AFM Bahauddin Nasim said.
As part of the government moves, officials in the Ministry of Road, Transport and Bridge said that diplomats from different missions in the country, eminent personalities and senior leaders of different political parties would be invited at the inauguration function alongside the presence of members of the cabinet, Members of Parliament and chiefs of Army, Navy and Air Forces.
Witnesses said all the ends of the Padma Bridge are being decorated while the newly constructed Padma Bridge is also being decorated in a view to turning it into an attractive one as much as possible.
Officials of the Ministry of Road, Transport and Bridges said that the ministry has formed 18 sub-committees to make the inauguration programme a success.
Besides, the ruling party is preparing for a mass gathering with the presence of huge number of people from the party as well as from the general people. The ruling Awami League will arrange a huge gathering on the Zazira end of the bridge on June 25.
Sources in the government and also in the ruling Awami League said it has been planned to make this bridge as attractive as possible and abroad even before the commencement of construction.
Minister for Road, Transport and Bridges, Obaidul Quader, also the General Secretary of the ruling Awami League, said that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina would inaugurate the Padma Bridge for public and transport movement on June 25.
“Alongside the diplomats of different missions and embassies in the country, eminent personalities and leaders from different political parties, including the BNP would also be invited to take part in the inauguration function”, said Obaidul Quader.
Sources said that the government wants to take the opportunity of showcasing this success to the public and use such mega achievement to win the next election.
According to the survey, if the Padma Bridge project is implemented, the gross domestic product (GDP) will increase at the rate of 1.23 percent. The GDP of south-western regions will grow by 2.3 percent.
The length of Padma Bridge (main bridge) is 6.15 km. The two-way flyover is 3.68 kilometers. In all, the length of the bridge is 9.83 kilometers. It will directly connect the banks of the river Padma with of Mawa in Munsiganj, Shibchar in Madaripur and Zazira in Shariatpur. The cost of the Padma Bridge project is Tk 30,193 crore. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the construction work of the main bridge on January 12 in 2015.