China to build 2 more bridges in Bangladesh

China will construct two more friendship bridges in Bangladesh, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said today.   

The bridges would be built in Amtoli in Barguna and Golachipa in Patuakhali and would be named as ninth and tenth Bangladesh-China friendship bridges, he said.

The minister was speaking to journalists after visiting Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng officially handed over the documents and certificate of the seventh Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge to his ministry.

The bridge, constructed over the Arial Kha River on Madaripur-Shariatpur-Chandpur Highway at the cost of Tk 294 crore, was inaugurated by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 20 through a videoconference.

Quader said the construction process of the 8th China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge over the Kocha River in Pirojpur has already begun.

Terming China a tested friend of Bangladesh and an important stakeholder in the world economy, Quader said the country has been contributing greatly to the infrastructural development of Bangladesh.

He requested the Chinese commerce minister to help implement some important projects of the road and bridges ministry.

The projects include an elevated expressway from Dhaka to Chittagong, a tunnel under the Jamuna River and Dhaka East-West elevated expressway, upgradation of Dhaka-Sylhet highway to four-lane, Sitakunda-Chittagong and Dhaka-Ashulia four-lane expressway.

The road transport and bridges minister hoped to get positive response from China’s premier when he would visit Bangladesh in October this year.