Govt reaches out to China for second Padma bridge

The Bangladesh government is expecting 2 to 3 billion US dollars in Chinese government assistance in the coming months for implementing some of its priority projects including construction of a second Padma Bridge or a tunnel at Paturia-Doulatdia river crossing point, said officials. "We want to start construction of both bridges simultaneously once we get the fund," Communications Minister Syed Abul Hossain told The Daily Star. He added that the government already got money from different donor agencies for the construction of the first Padma Bridge, and currently mobilising donors for funding the second Padma Bridge. He however said, "Getting the assistance will depend on the Chinese premier's next visit to Bangladesh or the Bangladesh premier's visit to China." Highly placed government sources said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina might visit China sometime in the coming months to discuss the assistance with the Chinese government. Hasina, also the president of ruling Awami League, already wrote a letter to the Chinese premier seeking the assistance. According to the government plan, it will soon engage officials to prepare for starting the construction of the second Padma Bridge or the Paturia-Daulatdia Tunnel, once it gets conformation of the fund. Construction of a bridge on the River Padma was one of the top electoral pledges of Awami League. The communications minister recently visited China and met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao seeking financial assistance for implementing five priority projects, which also include construction of a tunnel under the River Karnaphuli, a railway line from Chittagong to Gundum in Myanmar via Cox's Bazar, and construction of the seventh China-Bangladesh Friendship Bridge on the River Arialkhan at Kajirtek of Madaripur. "These above mentioned projects will help the present government build a strong foundation of a modern Bangladesh, capable of withstanding the untenable effects of the global economic slow-down, and to contribute to the strengthening and consolidating of the friendly relations between our two countries and peoples," the minister stated in his letter to the Chinese prime minister. Currently there are pending Bangladesh government projects worth 900 million US dollars, for which the Chinese government had earlier promised to provide fund, said government officials. There are at least four projects waiting for promised Chinese fund under different ministries including telecommunications, and power and energy, according to official sources. Asked about the pending projects and the promise of some new assistance Syed Abul Hossain said, "It will be easy to get the new assistance once the pending projects are implemented." "If we get the fund, we can start construction of both Padma bridges simultaneously," Hossain said.