The Dhaka-Mawa part of the Dhaka to Bhanga rail line via the Padma Bridge will be ready for train operation by this September. Railways Minister Nurul Islam Sujan shared this after inaugurating the Bhanga-Jashore rail line construction. “Train operation on the 81 km Dhaka-Bhanga part will start in September,” he said.  Furthermore, Dhaka-Jashore rail line will be ready for train operation by June, next year. Also read: Padma Bridge Rail Link: 75% complete, on course for June 2024 handover Currently, construction work is going on in 14 stations of the railway. According to the project information, 20 stations are being constructed on the line from Kamalapur to Jashore under the Padma Rail Connection Project. Of these, 14 stations will be new. The six old stations will be revamped to make them up-to-date. The railway line was constructed in three parts (plus a 3 km link being built between Dhaka and Gandaria): a 37 km Gandaria-Mawa section, a 42 km Mawa-Bhanga section, and an 87 km Bhanga Junction-Jashore section. Some 43.2 km of loops, siding and Y-connections bring the total track length to 215.2 km. Also read: Padma bridge rail link completed: officials The Padma Bridge was opened for vehicular movement on June 26 last year. On August 20, nearly two months after the inauguration of the Padma Bridge, the railway minister inaugurated the work of laying the railway line at the Jazira end of the main bridge. According to the project sources, the Padma Bridge rail link project was estimated to cost Tk 34,988.86 crore at the time of approval of the DPP in 2016. The term was set for December 2022. But in April 2019, the cost of the project was increased by Tk 4,269.27 crore and the cost was fixed at Tk 39,258.13 crore. The ECNEC meeting also approved the proposal to extend the project till June 2024. China Exim Bank is financing the project on a G2G basis. Of this, China's Exim Bank will provide loan assistance of about Tk 21,000 crore.The final loan agreement was signed with China in April 2018. The remaining money would be spent from government funds. The project is being constructed by Chinese contractor CREC. Also Read: PM opens Padma Bridge rail link work

The work of installing rail tracks on Padma Bridge is expected to be started next week, said Railway Minister Nurul Islam Sujan on Friday. Bangladesh Railway will hold a meeting with the bridge authority concerned Saturday, he told the journalists at Mawa Station during the inspection of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project. “The decision in this regard will be made in that meeting.” The minister also hoped that the train service from Dhaka to Bhanga through the bridge will be opened for traffic in June next year. Nurul said the project has been divided into three parts for timely implementation. Of three parts, one part will be from Dhaka to Mawa while the second part from Mawa to Bhanga and the third part from Bhanga to Jashore, he said. Progress of Mawa to Bhanga section is 80 percent while the progress of Dhaka to Mawa section is 60 percent and the progress of work on the Bhanga to Jashore section is 51 percent, he added. “Overall work progress is 60 percent.” “If the railway line is constructed from Dhaka to Bhanga, it will be possible to run trains from Dhaka to Khulna, Jashore, Darshana, Benapole through Faridpur and Rajbari,” he said adding that the new line from Khulna to Mongla, which will be operational by December this year, will be able to operate up to Mongla. Regarding the vibration on the road bridge during track installation, the minister said a technical team will assess the issue. They will solve if any problems arise.

A toll collector at the Mawa end of Padma Bridge sustained injuries after a commuter bus crashed into his booth on Saturday, forcing authorities to halt collection there. The injured collector of toll booth number 2 has been identified as Md Ripon Hussian, 22. Read: Record Tk 3.16 crore toll collected from Padma Bridge on day 6 Alamgir Hussain, officer-in-charge of Padma Uttar police station, said that the accident occurred around 11am when the Shariatpur-bound bus hit the booth after its driver lost control of the vehicle. "The accident led to the damage of a computer at the booth. The injured collector has been hospitalised," he added. However, toll collection at four other booths remained normal, he added.

Long queues of vehicles were seen on Mawa and Jajira ends of  the Padma Bridge after the much-awaited  bridge opened to traffic at 6 am on Sunday , a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated it. Our Munshiganj correspondent reports: People started thronging the Mawa point of the bridge since night to cross the bridge at first chance. Long queues of southern-western districts- bound vehicles including motorbikes, buses, trucks were seen waiting to cross the bridge. Aminul Islam, 35, who came from Kamrangirchar area, crossed the bridge first after paying toll at Mawa point. He said he along with 100 other motorbikes riders came here to cross the bridge.    Toll collection at Mawa point was delayed due to manual system. Five booths out of six were opened on Sunday for collecting toll. READ: Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka congratulate Bangladesh on Padma bridge inauguration Syed Rajab Ali, executive engineer of Padma Multipurpose Bridge, said toll collection process is a bit slow as today is the first day. The process will be speedy later, he hoped. The government on May 17 finalised the toll rate for different types of vehicles for crossing the Padma Multipurpose Bridge. The Bridges Division under Road Transport and Bridges Ministry issued a gazette notification in this regard. According to the government decision, Tk 100 toll has been fixed for motorbike, Tk 750 for private car and jeep, Tk 1200 from pick-up, Tk 1300 for microbus, Tk 1400 for small bus (with 31 seats), Tk 2000 for middle bus (with 32 seats), Tk 2400 for big size bus, Tk 1600 for small truck (5 tonnes), Tk 2100 for middle size truck (over 5 tonnes to 8 tonnes),  Tk 2800 for middle size truck (over 8 tonnes to 11 tonnes), Tk 5500 for big truck (up to 3 excel) Tk 6000 for trailer truck (4 excel) and Tk 6,000 plus for trailer (over 4 excel). Earlier, on Saturday, Bangladesh wrote another golden chapter in history when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opened the Padma Bridge turning the nation’s dream into a reality.

The Mawa launch terminal will be rendered useless and eventually forced to shut down in the absence of passengers once the Padma Bridge opens to traffic connecting Dhaka with southern districts, vessel operators and workers say. While bus owners expect a boost in business after the bridge’s June 25 opening, launch and speed boat operators at Shimulia (Mawa) Ghat helplessly scramble for alternative livelihood options. They fear that direct road communication between Dhaka and 17 southern districts over the Padma Bridge will hit the traditional and popular water vessel business. And their fear seems well founded. Also read: Padma Bridge ushers in hope for Gopalganj traders, patients, commuters Many launch and speedboat passengers at Mawa Ghat told the UNB correspondents that once the bridge opens, they will opt for direct and comfortable road communication instead of lengthy and risky travel through the murky waterways. “Since there was no bridge over the river, we had no choice but to travel by launches braving many hassles and wasting many hours. So, when the bridge will be opened to traffic, we won’t use the launch service anymore,” Abul Kalam, a private bank employee told UNB. Kalam, who was going to Madaripur by a launch from Mawa Ghat, said he now needs to change the modes of vehicle thrice to go to his village from Dhaka’s Jatrabari area. “It’s also a time-consuming journey. But we’ll be able to go to our home and return to Dhaka by direct bus services within a short time without any hassles when the bridge will be opened.”

Actress Pori Moni and her husband 'No Dorai' famed Dhallywood actor Sariful Raaz were spotted hanging out at the most hyped place 'Mawa Ghat' for enjoying 'hilsa' fish in the early hours of Thursday. Pori Moni has posted some pictures of different moments of Mawa tour on social media. Read: Pori Moni-Raaz announces pregnancy She told the media about their Mawa tour, "Raaz and I were quite feeling suffocated at home. So, I made a plan to go to Mawa in a hurry with some family friends." "Raaz was also very happy. And after a long time I ate hilsa fish at Mawa." Pori Moni and Raaz were in home isolation for a long time due to fever and cold. And so, they could not take part in the shooting. Pori Moni was not even seen in the recent Film Artistes Association election. Pori Moni loves to hang out at night. Whenever she manages time, she gets out with her car. "But now, I can't roam like before due to pregnancy,'' she said. Read: Pori Moni appeals to HC for quashing charges under narcotic case Pori Moni announced that she is expecting her first child with actor Sariful Raaz on their Facebook profiles on January 10. The couple fell in love on the set of noted director Giasuddin Selim's upcoming film 'Gunin'. The actress has recently confirmed that the two got married secretly on October 17 last year.

About 3,300 metres of the much-hyped Padma Bridge became visible after the installation of the 22nd span on Thursday.

The 22nd span of the much-hyped Padma Bridge will be installed on Thursday.