Two Padma Bridge loan instalments paid back

News Desk :
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has said Bangladesh will forge ahead overcoming all hurdles with the support of the people as she received two repayment instalments of the Padma Bridge loan.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday handed over a cheque for Tk 3.16 billion to the premier for the first and second instalments of repaying the loan taken for the construction of the Padma Bridge, the state-run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha reports.
“I believe we can step forward confronting any hurdle if the people stand beside us. The construction of the Padma Bridge with our own finances is the best example of that,” Hasina said, reports bdnews24.com
After the World Bank suspended a loan, the government borrowed money from the central bank at a low interest rate as per an agreement signed between the Finance Division and the Bangladesh Bridge Authority to go ahead with the construction of the bridge.
The 6.15km bridge opened to the public in June last year. Hasina thanked the people for giving “unwavering support” in transforming Bangladesh into a developing country.
She also said that the Padma Bridge was a “symbol of pride and capability” of the country.
“We can now repay the loan taken for the Padma Bridge construction from its toll,” she said. The Padma Bridge is expected to last more than 100 years, but its construction cost will be recovered in the next 35 years.