Bangladesh News

The government has decided to lay the foundation stone of 5.5-kilometre long Padma bridge at Maowa-Jajira point in the first week of the next month although the fund for the bridge construction is yet to be mobilised.

While the physical construction of the country’s longest bridge over the mighty river Padma is scheduled to start in 2008, the government has planned the early foundation laying in view of the electorates ahead of the next general elections, sources said.

The Ministry of Communications is preparing to lay the foundation stone on the basis of assurance of necessary fund by a consortium of three international donor agencies –World Bank, Asian Development Bank and Japan Bank of International Cooperation, said the sources.

Earlier the Japan government also assured Dhaka of fund arrangement.

Sources, however, said formal agreement is yet to be signed with any organisation about funding.

The preparation of foundation laying ceremony is going on, a high official of the communications ministry said, adding that the foundation stone will be laid for formal starting land acquisition for the bridge.

He admitted that the government is yet to mobilise the necessary fund for the project costing around $1.4 billion equivalent to Tk over 8,500 crore.

Communications Minister Nazmul Huda on several occasions asked the ministry officials to complete the land acquisition programme and other related work for laying foundation stone before the end of the tenure of the four-party alliance government.

The communications ministry started the process of land acquisition at the Maowa-Jajira point and waiting for Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s schedule for the foundation laying ceremony, sources said.

The construction of the bridge that will take at least three years will be done under the supervision of Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge Authority.

The communications ministry also asked the local administration to quicken the land acquisition process while the detailed design of the project is yet to be completed.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency conducted a feasibility study on the project in 2005 and recommended the Maowa-Jajira point as suitable for the bridge.

The proposed Padma bridge, a long time demand of the people of the south-western region of the country, would greatly reduce the time in road communication between southern districts and capital Dhaka.