Rivers are spread like a net all over riverine Bangladesh. There are more than 230 small and big rivers in the natural beauty of atmospheric Bengal. Padma is the second largest river in Bangladesh with a length of 36 km. And the Padma Bridge of Bangladesh's dream of South Bengal is going to be built on this Padma river very soon. If the bridge is built, it will be the longest bridge in Bangladesh and South Asia. The Padma Bridge will connect 19 districts in the south-west with the eastern part of the country, including the capital Dhaka.
Location of Padma Bridge: The Padma River originates from the Gangotri Glacier in the Himalayas of India and enters Bangladesh through Shibganj Upazila of Chapainawabganj District of Bangladesh through West Bengal, India. The river flows north of Kushtia district and joins the Jamuna at Daulatdia of Goaland police station in Rajbari district. The location of the Padma Bridge between Munshiganj district and Shariatpur district is at Mawa and Jajira points. The distance from the capital Dhaka to the Padma Bridge will be 30 kilometers.
Padma Bridge at a Glance: The country's first two-storey bridge (road above and rail below). The longest single or joint (road and rail) bridge in Bangladesh. It is also the longest bridge in South Asia. The length will be 6.15 km. The location will be Mawa-Jajira Point (Munshiganj-Shariatpur). The width will be 16.10 meters. Construction cost ২ 290 million, length of connecting road at both ends 12 km, river governance - 14 km. M, earthquake tolerance level Richter scale 9, the lifespan of the bridge will be 100 years, lanes 4, number of piles 260, structure-two storey, construction material steel road viaduct-3.148 km. Mr. Rail Viaduct 0.532 K. Mr. Land acquisition will be 1,124.6 hectares.
Historical context of Padma Bridge: Padma is a political commitment and successful realization of dreams. This is a long-standing demand of the people of the south-west of the country. In view of this, in 1999, the International Consulting Institution (BCL / RPT / NEDO) was entrusted with the task of verifying the site and pre-feasibility of the bridge. The company submitted a draft report in October 1999. The two places mentioned in the report are Mawa and Goaland. It was decided to build the first Padma Bridge at Mawa-Jajira point as Mawa was more suitable. The foundation stone of the Padma Bridge was laid on July 4, 2001 by the then and present Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Later the work came to a halt due to various complications. JICA then conducted another survey from 2003 to 2005 and selected the Mawa-Jazira point as a suitable location. Later, when the development partners agreed to finance, the ECNEC Padma Bridge project was passed in 2006.
Padma Bridge Finance: The Padma Bridge project is a huge mega project worth three billion dollars. During the tenure of the former caretaker government, the Padma Bridge project was approved at the ECNEC meeting on 20 August 2008 at a cost of Taka 10,161.65 crore. Later, the construction cost was revised to Tk 20,507.20 crore. The loan agreement was signed with 4 donor groups.
Donor Agreement Signature Amount (USD)
WB 28 April 2011 120 crore
ADB 6 June 2011 82 crore
JICA 16 May 2011 40 crores
IDB 24 May 2011 14 crore
Total 238 crore (M.D.)
The remaining money will be borne by the Government of Bangladesh. It is to be noted that these donor groups canceled the loan agreement in 2013 due to irregularities in the Padma Bridge project. As a result, the Bangladesh government has now decided to build the Padma Bridge with its own funds. At present, the Chinese company China Major Bridge Engineering Company Limited has been given the responsibility of constructing the Padma Bridge.
Infrastructure of Padma Bridge: The Padma Bridge will be two storeys high with roads and railways below. The main bridge will be 4 lanes. There will be two toll plazas for toll collection. 12 keys on both sides. Mr. There will be long connecting roads. The lifespan of the bridge will be 100 years. The steel bridge will have 26 piles. Gas line and power line will go through it.
Development potential of Padma Bridge and South Bengal: Bangladesh is a major agricultural country. 48.30 percent of the people of this country are directly involved in agriculture. Although agriculture is rampant in the south-west of the country, due to lack of improved communication, farmers are unable to reach these parts of the country. Industrial mills and factories were not established only due to the inadequacy of communication system. With the construction of Padma Bridge, economic activities including industrialization will increase in the region.
Communication: A large part of the population of the country lives in the south-west. Mawa-Jajira Point and Paturia-Daulatdia eat Himshim to get to and from this huge population. This leads to long traffic jams, passenger misery, and extreme damage to business. The construction of the Padma Bridge will open the door to communication in South Bengal.
Poverty Alleviation: Padma Bridge will indirectly play a role in poverty alleviation. This project will provide employment to many people. As a result, 0.64 percent of poverty will be alleviated every year, experts say.
Industrialization: The prerequisite for industrialization is improved communication system and infrastructure. Padma Bridge
If built, it will accelerate the pace of industrialization in South Bengal. Already, large domestic industries have shown interest in setting up industries on the other side of the Padma.
Trade growth: Mongla and Chittagong are the two major seaports of the country. Due to the lack of improved communication with Mongla port, one has to rely more on Chittagong port. If the Padma Bridge is built, more trade facilities will be available through Benapole land port and Mongla port. Which will play a role in the economic development of the country. The Padma Bridge is also of great importance for the expansion of domestic trade and commerce.
GDP growth: Padma Bridge will play a direct role in the GDP of Bangladesh. Through the Padma Bridge, the position of GDP in the national economy will stand at 1.2 percent. If this GDP increases then Bangladesh will become a middle income country by 2021.
Market Creation: About 30 million people live in the southwestern part of Bangladesh. With the construction of the Padma Bridge, direct communication will be established with this huge population. This will create new markets to meet the needs of the masses.
Increased vehicular traffic: According to a JICA survey, 21,300 vehicles will be able to travel through the Padma Bridge every day and by 2025 this number will increase to 41,600. With the country's GDP growing at 1.2 percent, regional GDP growth will stand at 3.5 percent.
National Highways Network: According to the Bangladesh Economic Survey 2014, the total length of national highways is 3538 km, the length of regional highways is 428 km and the length of railways is 2,835 km. If the Padma Bridge is constructed, the revenue of the government will increase and 5 districts of Dhaka division, 10 districts of Khulna and 6 districts of Barisal will be connected to the national highway network.
Conclusion: Padma Bridge will play an important role in the development of communication system in Bangladesh, especially for the south-western part of the country. This Padma Bridge of Golden Dream will create an important chapter in the history of road connectivity not only with the connection of Dhaka with South Bengal, but also with the Asian highway network including various countries of the subcontinent. Bangladesh will go a long way.
nice information about bridge