In pictures: Padma Bridge at a glance

The much-awaited Padma Bridge, which is set to be inaugurated on Saturday, has been a dream for the current government since 1997.

That year, during her visit to Japan, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina proposed the construction of the Padma and Rupsha bridges.

Once opened to traffic, the bridge will allow hundreds of thousands of people living in the 21 coastal and southwestern districts to enjoy quicker travel to and from the capital Dhaka and beyond.

The prime minister is scheduled to inaugurate the 6.15km bridge at around 10am. The ruling party is expecting a million people to join the grand rally.

The photos are taken by Dhaka Tribune's Mehedi Hasan