An Opposition MP has proposed naming the Padma bridge after Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib, wife of Bangladesh’s founding president Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Deputy Leader of Parliament Syeda Sajeda Chowdhury seconded the proposal made by Jatiya Party MP Kazi Firoz Rashid.
Standing on a point of order at the beginning of the session on Thursday, Rashid said an agreement had been signed for the construction of the Padma bridge.
Referring to the communications minister’s statement that it would be opened to traffic in 2018, he said: “It (the bridge) has to have a name.”
Rashid said: “I propose naming the bridge after a great lady, who had inspired the Father of the Nation in all movements including Bangladesh’s struggle for independence from behind the scenes, but hadn’t appeared in newspaper headlines or near state power.”
Sajeda Chowdhury said: “The proposal that my colleague has made is right. I’m seconding his proposal.”
Independent MP Md Selim and Rustom Ali Farazi also supported it.
The government signed an agreement with China’s state-owned company Major Bridge Engineering Ltd on Tuesday for the construction of the bridge.
The government had earlier given the Chinese company the work order to build of the bridge’s main structure at a cost of Tk 121.32 billion.
Though several companies had bought bid documents, only Major Bridge, whose annual income is $2 billion and employs 75,000 people, submitted the tender.
Source: Bd news24