The Bridges Division on Monday (June 19, 2023) paid Tk 316.02 crore as third and fourth installments of the loan taken for construction of Padma Bridge. Bridges Division Secretary Manjur Hossain handed over a cheque of Tk 316,02,69,093 to the Senior Secretary of Finance Division around 10 am  in presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, said a press release of Road Transport and Bridges Ministry. Read: Repayment of Padma Bridge loan starts with Tk 316.91 crore given to govt Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader, cabinet members, secretary, principal secretary to the prime minister were also present at that time. With this, the Bridges Division paid a total of Tk 632,93,36,6142 to the government in installments. Read: Tk 660.24 cr toll collected from Padma Bridge till April 25: Quader Earlier on April 5, the Bridges Division began the repayment of the loan with Tk 316,90,97,049 from the revenue it earned as toll collection from the bridge. The loan was taken from Bangladesh Bank at a low interest rate under an agreement signed between the Finance Division and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. Read: Padma Bridge Rail Link: 75% complete, on course for June 2024 handover In line with a revised agreement with the finance division on 26 July 2022, the Bangladesh Bridge Authority (BBA) will repay the loan in 35 years through 140 installments (four installments each year). The repayment will continue up to the fiscal year 2056-57. The authority collected tolls worth Tk 779,75,87,000 from the bridge till June 18,2023.

Bangladesh's Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader on Sunday (May 28, 2023) said that BNP wants to paint ,  as the aggressor to foreigners but Awami League will not do that under any circumstances. At the same time, he also warned that no concession will be given if any attacks are made on them. He gave this warning at a joint meeting at Awami League central office this afternoon. Obaidul Quader said Awami League will hold peace rallies across the country till the next general election for peaceful voting. “If necessary, programs will be given down to the ward level.” Read more: US visa policy will apply to BNP leaders who are making open declaration to obstruct upcoming polls Responding to a question on the new US visa policy specific to Bangladesh, the Road Transport and Bridges Minister said there is no reason for the government to be unhappy over it. “Bangladesh has no lord abroad, it has friends,” he said.   The minister said, “We don't have any headache about that. We have started the process of a free and fair election. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has made the Election Commission independent by law.  We are preparing the ground for a free, fair and neutral election.” Al Joint General Secretaries AFM Bahauddin Nasim, Dr Dipu Moni, Organizing Secretaries BM Mozammel Haque, SM Kamal Hossain, Mirza Azam, Sujit Roy Nandi, Office Secretary Barrister Biplob Barua, among others, were present at the meeting. Read more: Police, BNP clash in Dhaka’s Dhanmondi; One vehicle torched

The repayment of the loan taken for construction of Padma Bridge started with Tk 316.91 crore paid to the government in the first two installments on Wednesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina received a cheque of Tk 316,90,97,049 as the first and second installments of the loan. Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader handed over the cheque to the premier at her official residence Ganabhaban. The loan was taken from Bangladesh Bank at a low interest rate under an agreement signed between the Finance Division and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority. Speaking on the occasion, the prime minister said the country will continue to march ahead overcoming any barrier and disaster.  “Bangladesh will continue to march forward, maintaining the current pace of its development journey, no matter how many obstacles come,“ she said. The PM sought cooperation from the whole nation to face any disaster, accident, the brunt of the war or inflation as the people in cities and villages did during the construction of the Padma Bridge. "I believe we can move forward overcoming any hurdle if the people stand beside us. Construction of the Padma Bridge with the own finance is the best example of it," she said. She said the government had to overcome a strong obstacle nationally and internationally during the construction of the iconic bridge. PM Hasina said she didn’t get support from a number of people regarding the construction of the country’s longest bridge with own finance.  It was said that it would never be possible, she said. She said different heads of the state and government during talks told her that it would be a tough work since the World Bank withdrew its finance from the project. But only Malaysia supported with then Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak saying that it would be possible with own finance, she noted. Describing the Padma Bridge as the sign of the country’s pride, she said Bangladesh has been able to show its capacity to the world with the construction of the bridge with own finance. “I think it’s not only a bridge, but also a symbol of pride and capacity of the Bengali nation,” she said, adding that the trial run of train through the Padma Bridge also started from Tuesday last. On June 25, 2022, the prime minister opened the country’s largest bridge – 6.15-km Padma Bridge- over the mighty Padma River. The 6.15-km bridge connected directly the country’s 21 south and south-western districts with the capital, and it is expected to accelerate the GDP growth by 1.23 per cent and make an outstanding contribution to socio-economic development by alleviating poverty. The total allocation was Tk 30,193.39 crore, but the allocation for the main bridge was Tk 12,133.39 crore (including Tk 1,000 crore for installation of 400-kv electricity transmission line and gas line). Besides, the Tk 9,400 crore was allocated for river training works, Tk 1,907.68 crore for approach roads (including two toll plazas, construction of two buildings for police stations and three service areas), Tk 1,515 crore for the rehabilitation of the displaced people (caused by the project) and Tk 2698.73 crore for land acquisition. The Padma Bridge is expected to last more than 100 years, but its construction cost will be recovered in the next 35 years. PM’s Principal Secretary M Tofazzel Hossain Miah conducted the cheque handing-over event, while former Cabinet Secretary and Bridge Division Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam spoke on the occasion. Governor of Bangladesh Bank Abdur Rouf Talukder, Finance Senior Secretary Fatima Yasmin, Bridge Division Secretary Md. Monjur Hossain were present at the event.

Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Quader on Monday made it clear that no one is being called for any discussion ahead of the next parliamentary election and there will be no compromise on the question of constitution, i.e. the election-time government.  “We do everything in public. Democracy doesn’t discuss in the backdoor. Discussion will be in public, if any. But I am still not seeing any such opportunity,” Quader said, while answering a question about any possibility of dialogue with the BNP to bring them to the polls. The senior cabinet member, also general secretary of the ruling Awami League, was speaking with media personnel in the conference room of his ministry. Mentioning that the election "will be held here like other democratic countries", Quader said: “Nothing has happened in Bangladesh that we have to amend our constitution. There will be no compromise over the constitution.” Responding to a question about BNP’s movement, Quader said that his government doesn’t see the movement as a challenge. “No movement is possible without people’s participation. It is clear that the party has failed to draw as many people as they hoped. We are not seeing their movement as a challenge. We will face their political movement politically.”