With the installation of the last span on Thursday the main work of the Padma Bridge is complete.

The firm determination of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina made the bridge a reality despite various conspiracies.

The Padma Bridge will open for traffic in June in 2022. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the bridge.

The last span of the Padma Bridge was installed on Thursday making the entire structure of the 6.15 km multi-purpose bridge visible.

With this the long-cherished dream of millions of people of the country has come true.

With the installation of the last span of the Padma Bridge the country has witnessed a historic success.

And this great job is done defying all odds at last with own funds under the visionary and dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina after overcoming conspiracies hatched by the World Bank, other aid agencies at home and abroad.

“The 6.15km-long bridge has become fully visible,” Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader in his instant reaction said.

“The last span (41st span) of the bridge was installed on 12 and 13 pillars around 11:00am and with the installation of the this span, a total of 6.15 km (6,150 meters) main structure of the Padma Bridge has become visible,” an official of the project told this correspondent on the spot.

The national economy is expected to witness 1.5-2 percent GDP growth rate, while 0.84 percent poverty will be reduced every year after the completion of the bridge.

The Padma Multipurpose Bridge will change the entire economic landscape of southwestern Bangladesh it will connect many countries of South and Southeast Asia and contribute largely to communication, trade, industry, tourism and many other sectors in various ways.

The Padma Bridge, a double-dick multipurpose road-rail bridge will connect Louhajong and Munshiganj to Shariatpur and Madaripur, linking the south-west of the country to northern and eastern regions.

Padma Bridge is the most challenging construction project in the history of Bangladesh as the ruling Awami League is implementing it despite various conspiracies hatched against the construction of this mega bridge.

On October 14, 2018, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina unveiled the name plaque of the Padma Bridge Toll Plaza at the Mawa end.

And the project work began in 2007 at an estimated cost of Tk 10,162 crore but the cost went up several times and finally stood at Tk 30,193 crore.  

The Padma Bridge project was scheduled to end on December 30, 2019. Later, the deadline was extended till June 2021. Besides, the cost of the project will be increased. Earlier, total project cost was Tk 30,193.76 crore.  

Finally, the 6.15 kilometer (km) long bridge connected Shariatpur, Jajira with Mawa, Munshiganj.

Dewan Abdul Quader, executive engineer of the bridge, confirmed that the 41st span '2F' has been successfully installed on the 12th and 13th pillars of the bridge.

State minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury while witnessing the last span installation said, "We cannot express our joy in words. Today, under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina we are able to show our success to the world."

"The World Bank was reluctant to provide funds for the construction of the Padma Bridge. But Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced in 2013 that Bangladesh would build the Padma Bridge with its own funds. Ignoring the criticism from various quarters, in the end, the largest infrastructure in the history of the country was built with the money of the people of the country," he added.

Road Transport and Bridges Minister and General Secretary of the Awami League Obaidul Quader said, "The Padma Bridge is visible today after overcoming myriads of obstacles under the able and prudent leadership of Bangabandhu's daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina."

Obaidul Quader further said, "Bangladesh has shown the world that we can do everything possible because of the courageous leadership."

This span was installed 6 days after the 40th span had been installed. In the last two months, local and foreign engineers have set a record by placing eight spans on the bridge. The work of installing two spans this month was also completed by installing the last span in the month of victory.

Earlier, around 5pm on Wednesday, a floating crane named 'Tian-E' left the Mawa Construction Yard in Munshiganj carrying a 150-meter-long span. The crane carrying the span reached the pillars 12 and 13 after an hour. Law enforcement agencies were in charge for the safety of the crane and the security of the vessels moving in