Foreign ambassadors stationed in Dhaka have issued separate messages this week praising Bangladesh for the construction of the Padma Bridge, before its inauguration scheduled for Saturday morning.
Vikram Kumar Doraiswami, Indian high commissioner
The Padma Bridge will help contribute to greater connectivity between the two countries and in the sub-region supporting the BBIN initiative. From that perspective, as a country that has long valued the opportunity to increase connectivity across the sub-region, we in India will be delighted. Sheikh Hasina was proven correct in her decision to go ahead with the project and we look forward to the blessings of “connectivity, economic progress and easier travel” that will come as a result of this major breakthrough. The bridge is the connector of more than just business - connector of people, emotions and connector of cultures of Bengal.
Li Jiming, Chinese ambassador
Whenever I think of the bridge, three words come to my mind: courage, determination and prosperity. I believe that after the bridge is open to traffic, it will benefit the people of Bangladesh, it will contribute to the connectivity of South Asia, and it will serve as an everlasting bond of brotherhood between China and Bangladesh.
Charles Whiteley, ambassador and head of delegation of the European Union
The inauguration of the Padma Bridge is going to be an unforgettable moment for the country's development. We look forward to using the bridge ourselves and to seeing what it does to facilitate people to people, family and commercial links. Congratulations, Bangladesh.
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneIto Naoki, Japanese ambassador
Padma Bridge has been done on its own initiative and on its own funding. This is the bridge of the national dream and pride. This bridge will truly fulfil the growth potential of Bangladesh…The overall connectivity will be enhanced by the Padma Bridge and it will really vitalize the economy in the Southern part of Bangladesh making the rural economy vibrant.
Lee Jang-keun, South Korean ambassador
Korea is very happy to take part in this very proud history-making project. Korea has been and will be with Bangladesh in its grand journey towards realizing its ‘dreams of prosperity, peace and humanity’.”
Mehedi Hasan/Dhaka TribuneJeremy Bruer, Australian high commissioner
The Padma Bridge is a major achievement by and for Bangladeshis which should make all of them proud. The bridge should give a significant boost to the national economy by reducing travel time and making it easier for people to move around the country, to conduct business and to see their families. The bridge should also make it easier to connect Bangladeshis more efficiently with and drive economic growth in the dynamic Bay of Bengal region, he said.
Enrico Nunziata, Italian ambassador
Padma Bridge is now a reality. It is the consequence of the country's development while economic growth here is pretty evident. It was a courageous decision to go ahead with the project with the vision to reach the country's development goals and turn into a fully developed country by 2041. The Italian envoy expects that the completion of the Padma Bridge will give a boost to the country's GDP by connecting 21 south-western districts with the capital city.
File photo: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina films Padma Bridge from a helicopter on her way to Dhaka from Tungipara in Gopalganj on Friday, January 24, 2020 Focus BanglaEssa Yousef Essa Al Duhailan, Saudi Arabian ambassador
I admire Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for taking the revolutionary step of self-financing to build the Padma Bridge. Padma Bridge is a unique project nationally and internationally and it will help Bangladesh think beyond and build more infrastructures in the future. It (Padma Bridge) is one of Bangladesh's most significant achievements that helped accomplish the people's dream.