Third-grader Jannatul Nayeem Piya arrived at the Zajira end of the Padma Bridge with her father from Madaripur’s Shibchar to watch history unfold as the country geared up for the inauguration of its longest bridge.
“It’s so vibrant here, with so many people. I love it. It feels like Eid today,” Piya said when asked to describe the moment.
Piya’s father Fazlu Kabir was similarly excited, according to bdnews24.com.
“It is somewhat similar to the Eid celebrations for people in Madaripur. We'd always dreamt of a bridge. Today it has become a reality. I brought my daughter here so that she can be part of this historic moment,” he said.
The 6.15km-long bridge will connect 21 administrative districts with Dhaka by road from Sunday, making travel hassle-free for people in the country's southwest. The rail link on the lower deck of the two-storey structure is likely to open next year.
After overcoming numerous hurdles over the last two decades, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina marked the realisation of a dream by inaugurating the Tk 301.93 billion bridge on Saturday.
At the inauguration ceremony, she said: “This bridge encapsulates Bangladesh’s passion, creativity, courage, endurance and perseverance.”
Hasina subsequently attended a rally, organised by the ruling party, at Shariatpur’s Zajira.
Tens of thousands of people from nearby districts gathered at the location to hear her speak.
Gobinda Chandra Ghosh, a grassroots Awami League leader from Shariatpur’s Naria, was among them.
A visibly excited Gobinda said: “I can’t express how happy I am today,”
Gobinda and his fellow Awami League activists in Naria have been preparing to join this rally for quite a while.
“A launch was rented for us so that we can come here to see our leader speak,” he said.
Syed Shikder, a registered Awami League activist, arrived at the spot by launch too.
“Today, all the people of southwest Bangladesh have come here to pay their gratitude to the prime minister. We thank her. She did it,” he said.
Like Gobinda and Shikder, countless others came by launches, which docked at Shibchar’s Kathalbari terminal, while some drove or took public transport.
Some even came on foot, marching in celebratory processions after walking miles just to be part of the momentous occasion. The mass gathering caused massive gridlock in the Kazir Hat area of Madaripur’s Shibchar Upazila.