It’ll provide permanent link between two parts of country: Samy Vellu
Dhaka, Mar 15 (UNB) – The Malaysian government on Friday formally offered Bangladesh to help implement the US$2.3 billion Padma Bridge project, the largest ever infrastructure project in Bangladesh.Malaysian Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to India and South Asia Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu conveyed the offer at a press conference at Ruposhi Bangla Hotel in the city.
Malaysian High Commissioner in Dhaka Norlin Binti Othman and senior officials of the High Commission were also present.
“We entered into the project to assist Bangladesh government to complete the bridge which will provide a permanent connection between the two parts of the country,” Samy Vellu said at the crowded press conference.
He said the main reason why Malaysia has shown interest in the project is to help Bangladesh progress and it will ensure better housing for people of Bangladesh, apart from establishing shipping connection and new township.
The special envoy said the initiative will help strengthen cooperation between the two Muslims countries.
The Malaysian government, he said, is now hoping for the Bangladesh government to make its decision soon to enable both countries to execute a government-to-government memorandum of agreement.
Earlier, on February 20-21, 2013, discussions were held in Dhaka, and later both sides jointly signed the minutes of the terms that were agreed upon.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has also expressed Malaysia’s desire and total commitment to implement the project in an official letter to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina, early this year.
Both Malaysia and Bangladesh signed a government-to-government memorandum of understanding (MoU) on April 10 last year for Malaysia to form a Consortium to implement the project.
Meanwhile, it is understood that a Malaysian consortium led by Tan Sri Halim Saad of Markmore Group will be implementing the project.
The Padma Bridge is a 6.15 kilometre multipurpose road-rail bridge across the Padma River, which on completion will be the largest bridge in Bangladesh and the first fixed river crossing for road traffic.
The bridge will connect Louhajang in Munshiganj to Shariatpur and Madaripur, linking the south-west of the country with its northern and eastern regions.
The project is to be undertaken on a Build-Operate-Own-Transfer (BOOT) mode through a privatised concept.
Source: UNBConnect
