Travel time between Dhaka and Kolkata cut by half

Padma bridge that will cut the travel time between Dhaka and Kolkata by half was inaugurated by Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on June 25th

The 6.15-km-long, road-rail, four-lane bridge built over the Padma river has been fully funded by the Bangladeshi government and has been constructed at a cost of 3.6 billion US dollars

The bridge will connect 19 districts Bangladesh's southwestern region with capital Dhaka and other parts of the country. The bridge will also reduce travel time between Dhaka and Kolkata in India by almost half. The Rail travel time between the two cities will also be cut sharply thanks to railway tracks being built on the lower level of the Padma bridge.The bridge was fully funded by the Bangladesh government after the World Bank declined to provide loans, citing corruption..

The bridge was built by the Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group (RMBEG) of China.

 In a bid to influence people of Bangladesh, the Chinese government claimed the Padma bridge as part of its Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). However, Bangladesh's foreign ministry hit back denying links to the BRI and stressing no foreign funds had been used for the construction of the bridge.

India has offered its congratulations to Bangladesh on the completion of the Padma bridge, which spans one of the Ganga's tributaries, calling it a ground-breaking project.