Moments of joy for people on both sides

People on both banks of the Padma gathered yesterday morning to witness the auspicious event of the installation of the last span of the Padma bridge.

The dwellers of Shariatpur, Madaripur and Munshiganj reacted with joy as they think the bridge will contribute to overall development of the country's south-western districts.

Some came along with friends, some brought their children and family members and hired boats to see the event. People were even standing on the sandy islands in the river, although it was hard to see the installation work from afar due to poor visibility.

One end of the bridge's is located at Mawa point of Munshiganj and the other point is located at Jajira point in Shariatpur.

"Now, our area will see huge infrastructural development quickly. For example, our road from Dhaka to Mawa has been widened because of the bridge. It's a great achievement for us," said Awlad Hossain, a fish trader at Mawa kitchen market.

Siraj Bepari, a local, said, "We hope to see huge industrialisation centring the bridge and highways. There will be huge employment opportunities for people of this area."

Another resident of the area, Shajahan Miah, said, "Mawa has now become a tourist spot. The number of visitors will rise because of the bridge."

Some commuters said the bridge will see an end to the harassments they face at the speedboat terminal as recently the fare of crossing the river on speedboat has increased to Tk 200 from Tk 140.