PM grateful to nation: “Your support empowered me to build Padma Bridge”

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today (July 3, 2022) expressed gratitude to the nation for standing by her in constructing the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, saying that all credit goes to the people of Bangladesh.

"I'm truly grateful to the people of Bangladesh for standing by me. Their support and resolve empowered me," she said.

The premier said this while speaking at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting held at the Secretariat.

She chaired the meeting virtually from her official residence Gono Bhaban.

Replying to the greetings of her cabinet colleagues and officials, the prime minister said, "This (greeting) is for the people of my country."

Sheikh Hasina said the construction of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, which opened to traffic on June 25, 2022, is a major milestone in changing the destiny of Bangladesh. "I sincerely thank everyone."

She said those who were involved (in Padma Bridge project), especially the finance minister, finance secretary and others – none posed restrictions, rather they made it easier to accumulate funds to build the bridge on our own.

The premier said the battle to build Padma Bridge started in 2012 and throughout the construction it faced slander and conspiracy.

"My biggest strength was the response of our people, because they all stepped up and told me to go ahead," she added.

"The saddest thing is that we could have started (construction of the bridge) much earlier and ended earlier (if there were no conspiracy)," she noted.

"Some of our economists, knowledgeable persons, started saying that it (bridge) will not be viable…no money will be raised."

PM noted Padma Bridge will bring about a drastic change in lives and livelihood of people.

Before the bridge on Jamuna River, she said, there was "monga" (famine) in North Bengal every year but after the construction of Bangabandhu Bridge on it, there is no more "monga".