Acquisition of land and rehabilitation works for the much-desired Padma Bridge, the largest ever infrastructure project, are almost at final stage, Communications Minister Obaidul Quader told Parliament on Thursday.“The work on the (Padma Bridge) project implementation is going on,” he said in response to a tabled question of Begum Rowshan Jahan Sathi (Women Seat-26).
Obaidul Quader said it is true that the government is getting positive feedback from the conscious, self-respecting persons in response to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s call to build the Padma Bridge with own financing.
He informed the House that agreement with the selected contractor for the construction of the Jazira Approach Road, one of the five remarkable packages of the project, has been signed and the work would hopefully start at the beginning of next month.
He further said that the tender process for the key portion of the bridge will start in July and the contractor finalized as soon as possible to fully implement the budget.
Responding to another question of Shammi Akhter (Women Seat-38), the Communications Minister said a city needs 20-25 percent roads for smooth transportation system. “But Dhaka City has only 7.8 percent roads and most of the road infrastructures are occupied by hawkers and road-side shops.”
This is the reason behind the unresolved traffic congestion in the city despite removing 20-year old buses and minibuses from Dhaka city.
Obaidul Quader, however, hoped that the situation will improve in the future.
