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Economic growth is a desire held by many nations around the world. But before a country achieves this goal, it must have the proper infrastructure in place to foster economic growth. The country of Bangladesh is a great example of this thought. Can you imagine having to wait three or more hours to cross a river? This is exactly what people in Bangladesh must do each day in order to enter the under-developed southern region of the country. The river separating the country is called the Ganges, known locally as the river Padma. Having a bridge over the Padma river has been a dream of Bangladeshis for decades and that dream may finally become reality.
Building a bridge over the river Padma would not only make the journey easier for the Bangladesh people, but could also transform the lives of 30 million people living in the under-developed south. Analysts predict that the bridge could boost economic growth by a large 1.2 percent. This would tremendously help the country in ways not seen before. However, building the bride is estimated to cost over 3 billion dollars, making it the biggest infrastructure project in the country’s history. The government hopes to obtain financing for the bridge from the World Bank but concerns over corruption in the region have caused the World Bank to reconsider their involvement.
Besides economic growth for Bangladesh, the bridge would also help connect Bangladesh with other countries. India and Burma are both neighbors of Bangladesh that could potentially benefit from increased trade due to the building of the bridge. Increased regional trade would greatly help international businesses in these countries. Offering transit to other countries would also help bring in investments to the under-developed southern region of Bangladesh. Overall, the bridge could have a remarkable impact on the economic status of Bangladesh and surround countries. However, the bridge must be financed and as of now, the project remains in the planning phase. Only time will tell if dreams of the bridge in Bangladesh come true, and if so hopes of economic growth will soon follow.
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