The completion of the bridge is but merely a start.
With the inauguration of the Padma Bridge today, Bangladesh is now that much closer to realizing the vision that the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had for this nation.
The biggest project that our nation has undertaken since its very inception.
The Padma Bridge is more than just a bridge as it represents the true potential of Bangladesh when we all work together to achieve something great.
Connecting the far south of Bangladesh to the rest of the country, the biggest knock on effect of the Padma Bridge could be in reducing our highly centralized nature.
As the capital of the nation, Dhaka sees a tremendous flux of people coming into the city on a nigh monthly basis.
This has led to the brunt of our development being concentrated on this one city.
Now, with the construction of the Padma Bridge finally being complete.
There is genuine hope that the bridge will act as a gateway towards decentralization and usher in a new era of truly blanket and equitable development for the rest of Bangladesh.
Despite the fact that the lion’s share of its development costs was provided by the government and the tax-paying citizens.
Defying understandable worries that followed after international sources of funds expressed doubt — the completion of the bridge is but merely a start.
A bridge of this size and scope will require a comprehensive plan for its maintenance and the necessary costs that go along with it.
It is incredibly imperative that those responsible for its upkeep do justice to all the hard work that has gone into its construction and planning over the past years.
And not fall prey to the rampant corruption that such projects usually succumb to.
With the completion of the Padma Bridge, Bangladesh has now entered a new era of prosperity and development.