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Bangladesh has asserted that the Padma Multipurpose Bridge, a flagship infrastructure development project that is set to be inaugurated on June 25, is entirely funded by its national exchequer, with no part of the cost being paid out of any financial contribution by any bilateral or multilateral funding agency.
Some quarters are trying to portray that the bridge has been built with foreign funding, specifically one of the Chinese government's loans under the Belt and Road Initiative, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) Friday, which is why the government felt the need to clear the air by issuing a statement.
Both Bangladeshi and foreign construction firms were engaged in the implementation of the project, MoFA said.
The completion of this bridge will fulfil the long-cherished dream of connecting the 19 south-western districts with the rest of the country, resulting in collective prosperity, socioeconomic development and enhanced regional connectivity.
MoFA hoped that all friends of Bangladesh would join hands in celebrating the completion of this landmark project which is "all the more special since it was done entirely with the contribution of the people and the government of Bangladesh."
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