At long last, the last span of the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has been installed, marking a momentous point in Bangladesh’s development journey.
While there is still some work left to be done, the dream of Padma Bridge, the foundation for which was laid down by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on July 4, 2001, after numerous setbacks and delays, will finally be fulfilled, paving the path towards a future for Bangladesh that promises a tremendous boost to our economy, and invaluable improvements to the lives of the people of this nation.
The bridge will revolutionize communications in southern Bangladesh and, by some estimates, increase GDP by 1.5-2%, and should serve as an example of how important it is to invest in Bangladesh’s infrastructure in order to ensure sustainable development moving forward.
This achievement, undoubtedly, showcases Bangladeshi resilience in the face of insurmountable odds, but it is also a reminder of how we must also improve the very way we function as a nation in order to ensure that delays, inefficiency, and mismanagement do not delay our projects in the future.
Corruption continues to be at the root of most issues which plague Bangladesh and act as barriers towards progress, and we must continue to fight its overarching influence on our institutions, both public and private, if we wish to have any chance of reaching our potential as a nation, fulfilling the dreams of our people in the process.
With the incredible achievement of the Padma Bridge firmly under our belt, it is time to look forward to an exciting future of prosperity, connectivity, efficiency, and more projects down the pipeline that will improve the lives of the millions in this nation.
