Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said that her government was keen to ensure the highest standards in the construction of her dream project – the Padma Bridge – the 11th largest bridge in the world to be inaugurated on Saturday.
“No compromise was made in maintaining the standard of the Padma Bridge during its construction. I hope that no one will be able to raise any questions about the standard of the Padma Bridge. There is no basis for such questions,” she said at a press conference on current issues on Wednesday.
The premier gave details of the construction works and the cost, describing why the cost had increased with time – from Tk10,000 crore to Tk30,000 crore – fully funded by the government.
The construction of the 6.15km-long bridge began in November 2015 and the project cost rose to Tk30,193 crore in 2021 after several revisions. Work on the rail tracks, through the lower deck of the two-storey Padma Bridge, will be completed by next year. It costs some Tk40,000 crore with 85% of the fund being taken as a loan from China.
The Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway leading to the bridge has been constructed at Tk11,000 crore. To develop connectivity with the road and rail network to the south-western regions of the country, the government’s expenditure is over Tk80,000 crore to date.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the overall situation in the country, including the inauguration of the Padma Bridge a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday, June 22,2022Focus Bangla At the press conference on Wednesday, the premier called upon all to celebrate the grand opening of the Padma Bridge with patience, and to ensure that untoward incidents did not take place.Blasting the critics who had expressed doubts whether the bridge could be built across the mighty Padma with domestic funds, Hasina said: “There are some people in our country who have a perception that we cannot do anything big without foreign funds. They’re dependent on others and lack self-confidence. This Padma Bridge, built with our own funds, helped Bangladesh come out of dependency on others to conduct the country’s development programs.”
She said that her government had started work to construct a bridge over the Padma River in 1996.
“In 2010, Japan submitted reports on the Padma Bridge to us. But unfortunately, when the BNP came to power after the 2001 election, the work was stopped. When I returned to power in 2009, we restarted the project and made a more detailed and final plan by 2011,” the premier said.
“After the withdrawal of the World Bank, we decided to build this project with our own funds. At that time, the general people of Bangladesh were with me. They gave me the courage; I want to express my thanks to our countrymen at this special moment,” she added.
“The Padma Bridge is our pride and glory as we have been able to construct the bridge with the courage of the mass people of Bangladesh.”
Senior Awami League leader Amir Hossain Amu, Information and Broadcasting Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud, and PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus were present on the dais. PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim moderated the programme.
PM thanks naysayers
Sheikh Hasina also thanked those who had opposed the construction of the Padma Bridge. “The government was able to prove its self-reliance and self-respect because of the naysayers,” she said.
The premier also said she did not have any complaints against them or the World Bank for the cancellation of the latter’s funding for the bridge.
“Instead, I thank them. We are thankful that the incident happened, so we could build the Padma Bridge with our own money.”
The government had invited the naysayers, she said, adding that a couple of them should be immersed in the Padma River.
Hasina again alleged that some Bangladeshi people were behind the cancellation of the funding for the Padma Bridge.
Taking a swipe at economists, she said: “They should bear in mind that Bangladesh takes a loan from the World Bank as its partner and the loan is paid back with interest. We don’t take alms and mercy from anyone; we rather take loans.
“The World Bank has no right to withdraw the money which was sanctioned for Bangladesh, now we are using the money which was sanctioned for the Padma Bridge in other projects with low interest rates.”
Replying to a question about initiating an investigation against Dr Muhammad Yunus, the premier urged journalists to investigate a case where the Nobel laureate had withdrawn Tk6 crore from a Trust account and shifted it to his personal account in 2020.
Hasina said she was also chairperson of a Trust and had no right to transfer any amount of money to her account.
Replying to another question about the construction of the second Padma Bridge at Daulatdia-Paturia point, the prime minister said her government would take action regarding the matter after seeing the returns from the first Padma Bridge.
Govt doing its best to help flood-affected people
The premier said her government was doing everything to help the flood-affected people of the country – from rescue to relief distribution.
“We are distributing dry and cooked foods, saline and medicines in the flood-hit regions. We are ready to deal with any diseases that may result from the floods,” said Hasina, who on Tuesday visited Sylhet as the region is facing the worst floods in more than a century.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the overall situation in the country, including the inauguration of the Padma Bridge a press conference at the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday, June 22,2022 Focus Bangla“Last week’s floods in Sylhet were beyond imagination. Even if it is called catastrophic, it cannot be explained. There was unusual rainfall in Meghalaya and Assam in India, upstream of Sylhet division. Cherrapunji in Meghalaya received more than 2,500mm of rainfall in three days, while 972mm of rainfall was recorded in the 24 hours till last Friday – the highest in the last 122 years,” she said in a written speech.
“Without consuming time, we have deployed the army, navy, air force, Border Guard Bangladesh, coast guard and police force along with the civil administration. Besides, leaders and workers of the Awami League and its associate bodies have been given directives to extend cooperation to the flood-affected people. They are carrying out relief programmes in flood-hit areas,” said Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League.
“I myself inspected flood-hit areas in Sylhet, Sunamganj and Netrokona districts yesterday [Tuesday]. The highest measures have been taken to lessen suffering,” she added.
‘Won’t bow to any pressure’
Replying to a query regarding the human rights situation, the premier said: "Who will teach us human rights – the ones who give shelter to murderers? A country where shooting incidents are constantly taking place in schools, students are being killed, people are being throttled to death by the police under their feet on the streets…will they teach us human rights?".
Sheikh Hasina said: "Bangladesh will never bow to any pressure… We will move on with the confidence we have. And I will march ahead with the strength of our people."
She said some people of the country engaged in a chorus dance with their words but Bangladesh would continue its onward march with confidence and the strength of the people.
PM responds to criticisms
At the press conference, Hasina came up with a brief focus on the “negative and discouraging” comments made by the BNP, a section of economists, former bureaucrats and civil society and responded to the criticisms.
On October 17, 2011, Khaleda Zia said: “This is the first time the World Bank has cancelled its credit for any development project of Bangladesh after independence.”
On this, the premier said: “It was not the first time. The World Bank cancelled funds during the construction of the Shiddhirganj Power plant and Dhaka Mymensing Highway project during the regime of the BNP.”
On July 1, 2012, economist Dr Akbar Ali Khan said: “It will be very difficult for Bangladesh to manage loans in future because of such a decision by the World Bank. Whenever any donor agency expresses interest in any new project, it will treat Bangladesh differently due to corruption. If the government initiates the work of Padma Bridge with any alternative funding, cost will increase a lot and questions will also linger over the quality of work.”
PM replied: “I think now he cannot raise any questions about the Padma Bridge.”
Economist Badiul Alam Majumdar, who is the founder-secretary of Citizens for Good Governance, said this incident was another example that “corruption is taking us backward and ruining the country’s development trend.”
Hasina replied: “The World Bank failed to prove any corruption but he did!”
TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said the decision the government had taken for financing the Padma Bridge from alternative sources could be considered a way of diverting attention away from the allegations of corruption. Even if this decision results in success, it won’t enhance the government’s acceptability.”
The premier replied: “Now you can judge whether the Awami League has people’s support in Bangladesh or not.”
Hasina said she wanted to invite former governor of Bangladesh Bank Dr Saleh Uddin to visit the Padma Bridge as he had commented: “It is not possible to implement the plan the government has on the construction of the Padma Bridge with its own funding. But if the government wishes, it can lay the foundation stone; it cannot complete the project.”
Eminent lawyer Shahdeen Malik said: “The Padma Bridge can’t be constructed with domestic financing. It is not possible.”
The premier replied: “Shahdeen Malik is independent (Shwadhin)…he talks very independently.”
Dr Debapriya Bhattacharya, a distinguished fellow at CPD, said: “A huge amount of foreign currency is needed to implement the mega project, which could put pressure on foreign reserves. The government cannot avoid its responsibility…but, for this, they have to face terrible new problems.”
The premier said: “Right now, we have reserves of $42 billion in foreign currency and all our other development projects are underway.”
