THE first section of the Padma Bridge Rail Link Project (PBRLP), part of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in Bangladesh, officially opened after midday Tuesday.

Built by the China Railway Group Limited (CREC) and funded by the Export-Import Bank of China, the railway link spans 80 kilometers from the capital city Dhaka to Bhanga. Thousands of people, including Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, attended the ceremony in Dhaka’s Munshiganj District to witness the inaugural train.

“We never thought that our generation would see this,” said Sheikh Azhar Hossain, a resident of Munshiganj, expressing his happiness about the new railway. Prime Minister Hasina also shared her delight, describing it as a “fulfillment of a dream” for the country.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen called the PBRLP a landmark project under the BRI, stating that it will greatly enhance the country‘s railway connectivity and economic development.

The entire 172-km project is expected to be completed next year and will connect Dhaka with over 20 districts in the southern region of Bangladesh. Additionally, it will be an integral part of the trans-Asian railway network, promoting regional connectivity and economic growth in Bangladesh.

This is a “historic moment,” said Bangladeshi lawmaker Saifuzzaman Shikhar who was also onboard the inaugural train. “I’m crossing the Padma Bridge by train. It was a dream in the past. But it is a reality today,” he added.(Xinhua)