India greets Bangladesh for successfull completion of Padma bridge

Dhaka [Bangladesh], June 25 (ANI): India extended greetings to Bangladesh on the successful completion of the Padma Bridge, a groundbreaking infrastructure project, said Indian Embassy here.
Padma Bridge, the 6.15 Km long road-rail four-lane bridge over the mighty river Padma, is going to be inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday.
“The completion of this much-awaited project testifies to the courageous decision and visionary leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. This success proves the decision of the PM and we firmly believe in it, which we have unwaveringly supported when Bangladesh decided to take this project forward,” the Embassy said.
The Padma Bridge will not only improve Inter-Bangladesh connectivity, but it will also provide the necessary logistics and business momentum to connect the common areas between India and Bangladesh. This bridge will play an important role in enhancing India-Bangladesh bilateral and sub-regional connectivity.
The people of India are once again congratulating the people of Bangladesh on the significant occasion of the inauguration of the Padma Bridge on the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh’s independence, it added. The Bridge which has been constructed at a cost of Taka 30,193.6 crore (USD 3.6 billion), has been fully funded by the Government of Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) on June 17 clarified that the Padma Bridge, which is scheduled to open on June 25, is not a part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative and also said that no foreign funds were taken to complete this multipurpose project.
“Ministry of Foreign Affairs categorically asserts that the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has been entirely funded by the Government of Bangladesh and no foreign funds from any bilateral or multilateral funding agency have financially contributed to its construction,” Bangladesh MoFA said in a statement.
The Foreign Ministry has come up with this in a press statement after noticing that some quarters were trying to portray that the Padma Multipurpose Bridge has been constructed under the Chinese BRI and foreign funds.
According to the foreign ministry, the completion of the bridge will fulfill the dream of Bangladesh of connecting the 19 south-western districts with the rest of the country resulting in collective prosperity, socio-economic development of the country as well as enhanced regional connectivity.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs earnestly hopes that all friends of Bangladesh will join hands in celebrating the completion of this landmark project which is all the more special since it has been done entirely by the contribution of the people and the Government. (ANI)