Lesson 1/35 min
Jamuna and Padma bridges
Watch out: A Bridges Division notification of 26 February 2025 renamed ‘Bangabandhu Bridge’ as ‘Jamuna Bridge’. The rail bridge under construction was renamed ‘Jamuna Railway Bridge’ in December 2024. The books still use the old ‘Bangabandhu’ names, so exams may use either.
Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge (Bangabandhu Bridge)
- The country's 2nd longest road bridge; earlier name Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge
- Foundation stone: 10 April 1994; inaugurated 23 June 1998 (Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina)
- Length 4.8 km, width 18.50 m
- 121 piles, 49 spans, 50 piers
- Connects Sirajganj and Tangail districts
- Financed by the World Bank, ADB, OECF and the Government of Bangladesh; project taken up in 1985
- First political demand: in the 21-point programme of the United Front, 1954; raised by Maulana Bhasani (Khandokar's GK)
Did you know?: Zubair's GK says the Bangabandhu Bridge ranks 12th in the world and 5th in Asia. This is an older book claim; after the Padma Bridge opened it is no longer Bangladesh's longest bridge.
Rail bridge: Jamuna (Bangabandhu) Railway Bridge
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Foundation stone | 29 November 2020 (by PM Sheikh Hasina, from Ganabhaban) |
| Location | 300 m north of the road bridge, parallel to it; Sirajganj–Tangail |
| Length | 4.8 km; double line, dual gauge |
| Funding | Bangladesh and Japan (JICA); allocation Tk 16,780 crore |
| Speed limit | 100 km/h on metre gauge, 120 km/h on broad gauge |
| Project approved | 6 December 2016 |
Watch out: The book calls it the country's ‘longest single rail bridge’ and says it ‘will finish in 2025’. Web reports say trains began crossing it in early 2025 (reports differ on the exact date), and by November 2025 physical work was about 99.3% done. So the book's ‘Hardinge is the longest rail bridge’ is now outdated.
Padma Bridge: key facts
- Project name: Padma Multipurpose Bridge; Bangladesh's longest bridge
- Location: Mawa (Munshiganj) to Zajira (Shariatpur); three districts: Munshiganj, Shariatpur, Madaripur (Shibchar)
- Length 6.15 km (6,150 m), width 18.10 m
- 41 spans (150 m each), 42 piers (6 piles each, 264 in all)
- 4 road lanes; 1 rail line (metre and broad gauge); 12 km river training; 3.18 km viaduct
- Total cost Tk 30,193.39 crore (self-financed)
- Links Dhaka with 21 southern districts; design life 100 years; earthquake resistant up to 9 on the Richter scale
Padma Bridge: dates and companies
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Foundation stone | 4 July 2001 (book) |
| Construction began | 7 December 2014 |
| Formal start of main work | 12 December 2015 |
| First span placed | 30 September 2017 (on piers 37 and 38) |
| Last (41st) span | 10 December 2020 (on piers 12 and 13) |
| Inauguration | 25 June 2022 |
| Traffic began | 26 June 2022 |
| Design | AECOM (USA) |
| Main bridge contractor | China Major Bridge Engineering Construction |
| River training | Sinohydro Corporation Limited |
| Supervision (book) | Korea Expressway Corporation and the Bangladesh Army |
| Operated by | Bridges Division, Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges |
More facts (book claims)
- ‘Tian-Yi’: a 3,600-tonne computer-operated floating crane used to lift the spans
- According to Khandokar's GK, it has the deepest piles and is the longest truss bridge in the world
- The book says it adds 1.23% to GDP (a Jahangirnagar University question gives 1.2%)
- 25th on the world list of road bridges; the longest is the Hangzhou Bay Bridge (China, 35 km)
- Longest sea bridge: Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge (55 km)
- In South Asia it ranks 6th; the longest is the Bhupen Hazarika Bridge (Assam–Arunachal)
- Loan agreements: citing corruption allegations, the World Bank, JICA and IDB withdrew; the bridge was finally built with the country's own money
Padma rail link and the proposed second Padma bridge
| Project | Detail |
|---|---|
| Padma Multipurpose Rail Link | Dhaka–Jashore 173 km (book); route Dhaka–Padma Bridge–Bhanga–Narail–Jashore; built by China Railway Group Limited |
| Opening dates | Dhaka–Bhanga 10 October 2023; full Dhaka–Jashore–Benapole passenger service 24 December 2024 (web sources) |
| Proposed second Padma bridge (book) | From Paturia (Manikganj) to Goalanda (Rajbari); 6.10 km, width 18.10 m; funded by the Government and ADB; initial cost Tk 13,121 crore |
Memory trick: Padma: opened 25 June, traffic from 26 June (2022). First rail service 10 October 2023.
Check yourself
Which company designed the Padma Bridge?
At a glance
- 1
Padma Bridge: 6.15 km, width 18.10 m, 41 spans, 42 piers; inaugurated 25 June 2022, traffic from 26 June 2022.
- 2
Padma's first span was placed on 30 September 2017 (piers 37-38) and the last on 10 December 2020; designed by AECOM.
- 3
Jamuna (Bangabandhu) Bridge: 4.8 km, 50 piers, inaugurated 23 June 1998; renamed Jamuna Bridge in 2025.
- 4
Jamuna Railway (Bangabandhu Rail) Bridge: foundation stone 29 November 2020, 4.8 km, Japanese funding; trains began crossing in 2025.
- 5
On the Padma rail link, Dhaka–Bhanga opened on 10 October 2023 and Dhaka–Jashore–Benapole on 24 December 2024.