Bangladesh will soon start implementing a plan to construct a 1,5 billion US dollar bridge over the river Padma to connect the southwest of the country with the capital Dhaka, a government minister said on Tuesday.
The bridge – by far the South Asian countrys largest – will help boost business and the movement of goods between the country’s second seaport, Mogla, and the rest of the country (Broen er kaldt Bangladesh Storebæltsforbindelse, red.).
Construction of the 5,58 km long bridge, at Mawa, 50 km south of Dhaka, will be funded by international financial institutions including the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank.
Construction of the proposed Padma bridge will start in 2011 and be completed in three years to connect the southwest region with Dhaka, Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain said. After the bridge is constructed, the gross domestic product of the southwest will increase by 2 percent, he added.
The bridge on the Padma connecting Mawa in Munshiganj with Jazira in Madaripur is also likely to contribute hugely to the functioning of the Mongla Port in Bagerhat, the second seaport of the country that fails to attract cargo ships owing to poor communications.
As per the initial proposal, the bridge will have a rail line that will eventually become part of a proposed trans-Asian rail link.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
