Bangladesh
Padma Bridge Tk 2.25 crore daily income at Padma Bridge, Tk 1,270 crore in 19 months: Prime Minister Hasina in Parliament
Own Correspondent, Dhaka, 8 February 2024: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said that the average daily income from toll collection at Padma Bridge is Tk 2.18 crore. Since the inauguration of this multi-purpose bridge, the total toll collected in the last 19 months is Tk 1 thousand 270 crore 81 lakh. She gave this information in a written reply to a question of Member of Parliament Nurunnabi Chowdhury in the session of the 12th National Parliament on Wednesday, February 7.
Speaker Dr. Shirin Sharmin Chowdhury presided over the session.
The Prime Minister said that Padma multi-purpose bridge (6.15 km long and 18.10 m wide bridge over the Padma river is the longest bridge built in Bangladesh) is a symbol of the nation's pride and capability. It was officially inaugurated on June 25, 2022 and opened for traffic from June 26 of the same year.
She said that a total of Tk 1,270 crore 81 lakh 34 thousand 350 tolls have been collected from vehicles crossing the bridge till January 24 this year. After the inauguration in one year (up to June 25, 2023) the income is about 798 crore 23 lakh 16 thousand taka and the daily average income is about 2 crore 18 lakh taka.
The Chief Minister said that the Padma multipurpose bridge has contributed a lot to the country's economy. Uninterrupted communication has been established with 19 districts of southern region including Dhaka. Besides, about 1.4 percent of the labor force was employed during the year. As a result of the construction of these bridges, poverty has been reduced by 84 percent across the country, GDP growth by 2.5 percent in the southern region and 1.23 percent overall.
She said, besides, Trans Asian rail and road will be connected through this bridge. Trade, industrialization and tourism will accelerate. In the meantime, the socio-economic life picture of the south-western part of the country has changed and a lot of activity has been created.
