Bangladesh’s Padma Bridge Overcomes Obstacles, Connects to the World

Bangladesh’s location in South Asia makes it a strategic hub for regional connectivity, foreign investment, and global outsourcing. To advance this trend, Bangladesh has committed substantial resources to large-scale infrastructure projects. The Padma Bridge project, which is on track to open next year, is a prime example.

The Padma Bridge will link the southwest of the country to the northern and eastern regions. It will be the country’s first fixed river crossing for both road and train traffic. In addition, high pressure gas transmission lines and fiber optic communication links will be embedded in the bridge. It is, in almost every way, the embodiment of modern connectivity.

By providing essential infrastructure, the bridge is expected to boost Bangladesh’s already fast-growing Gross Domestic Product by an additional 1.6 percentage points. It will connect Bangladesh to its neighbors and allow it to promote trade and more person-to-person contacts in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Indian and Nepal.

For the 30 million people living in the region directly affected the Padma Bridge, the project has the potential to radically transform lives and lift potentially millions of citizens out of poverty. Farmers will be able to get their products to market in Dhaka in fewer than two hours. In addition, the government plans to establish a high-tech park in Shariatpur and an airport in Bagerhat that will link the region, not just to the capital but to the rest of the world.

International lenders, like the World Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Asian Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, initially expressed interest in funding the Padma Bridge project. But that was not to be. Many in Bangladesh know this story well, but it bears repeating. Essentially, the World Bank claimed to have uncovered massive corruption in connection with the project and withdrew its support for the bridge. Others followed. But contrary to the World Bank’s assertions, a Canadian court recently found no evidence of corruption in the project and dismissed all charges. The court stated that the evidence was based on “gossip and rumour.”

In the end, Bangladesh decided to go it alone. The Bangladesh government put up all $3 billion to pay for the bridge’s construction. The project is on schedule for completion by the end of 2018. But no one should forget the potential harm to Bangladesh’s reputation that the World Bank’s hesitation caused.

The aim of the World Bank’s plot was to discredit Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the ruling Awami League government. The World Bank acted on directions from then-U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was being asked to act against my mother by Mohammad Yunus. Yunus, a Bangladesh entrepreneur, has been targeting my mother since the government uncovered massive embezzlement at Grameen Bank, which he ran.

The World Bank owes Bangladesh, Prime Minister Hasina, and the Awami League an apology. But Bangladesh could not wait around for the World Bank to come to its senses. As the prime minister said: “We will prove to the world that we are not beggars, but achievers. We will bow to none.” Therefore, Bangladesh chose to forgo foreign financing.

The Padma bridge was too important to allow the project to collapse under the weight of international political pressure. This is why the Prime Minister and the Awami League government decided to finance the bridge alone. The message is clear: Bangladesh will not be toyed with.

Prime Minister Hasina and the Awami league government recognize the economic and cultural importance of the Padma Bridge. Connecting Bangladesh’s south-west with the north-east will economically liberate millions of Bangladeshis. The bridge also further connects Bangladesh to its neighbors, allowing it to promote trade and personal contacts in Bangladesh’s rapidly expanding part of Asia.