After much anticipation, people from regions across the country flocked to see the Padma Bridge on the weekend.

From noon yesterday, visitors kept arriving at various points along the riverbank in Munshiganj's Louhajang in private cars and public transport.

Their interests piqued upon hearing about the bridge's inauguration on June 25. This correspondent saw a festive scene at the site, with visitors standing on trawlers and speedboats, taking pictures to preserve their first sighting of the bridge.

However, due to security reasons, tourist trawlers were moving about a kilometre away from the bridge's pillars.

Visitors had travelled long distances to see the bridge with their family members and friends. Even the popular writer Anisul Hoque visited with a trawler at 3:00pm yesterday.

Hasan Niloy, a private employee, came to Shimuliaghat from Dhaka's Mohammadpur area. He and his six friends went there on their motorbikes. They rented a trawler for Tk 2,000 to see the bridge.

"It is a great pleasure to see one of the largest structures in the country," he said.

Jiban Hossain, a fruit trader from Chashara area of ​​Narayanganj, said, "For many years, we had to suffer while crossing Padma by ferry during Eid. Once the bridge is inaugurated, travel time will be saved and the perilous journeys will end."

Mohiuddin Ahmed, a resident of Dhaka's Mirpur-1, saw the entire bridge, from its Mawa end to the Jajira end. "I saw the pillars and spans over Padma. The joy I feel is beyond words," he said.