Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday said the country’s southern region will no longer remain neglected after the opening of the much-awaited Padma Bridge on June 25 next.

“I think that the people of the southern region will have no more trouble....Their financial condition will improve. They will be able to lead a more improved life for the development of their socio-economic condition,” she said.

The premier said this while inaugurating the two newly constructed training and research institutes for the rural development –‘Palli Janopad’ in Rangpur and ‘Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy (BAPARD)’ at Kotalipara in Gopalganj— through a videoconference from her official residence Ganabhaban.

The southern region has always been neglected, but it would not remain ignored anymore as the Padma Bridge would help develop industries there, she said, adding that her government has already brought the area under the electricity network and is improving internal road connectivity further there.

“We, the people of the southern region or the banks of Padma River, have always been neglected and poverty has been a regular feature in our lives. But it (poverty) will not remain anymore,” she said.

Noting that the Padma Bridge is going to be opened on June 25 next, Sheikh Hasina asked the people of the country to celebrate its grand launching as the construction of the 6.15-km double-deck road-rail bridge over the mighty river was a matter of big challenge for Bangladesh.

“Celebrate it not only on the banks of Padma, but also throughout Bangladesh. I want the festival to be held in every district because it was a big challenge for us,” she said.

The PM said many people earlier thought that the government couldn’t construct the Padma Bridge over the mighty Padma River.

Lambasting Dr Muhammad Yunus, she once again said the World Bank’s funding to the Padma multipurpose bridge project was stopped due to a person who got the highest opportunities from the Awami League government but betrayed with the people of Bangladesh.

LGRD and Cooperatives Minister Tajul Islam, State Minister Swapan Bhattacharjee and Secretary of Rural Development and Co-operative Division Mashiur Rahman spoke at the function, joining it from Gopalganj.

Like BARD in Cumilla and RDA in Bogura, the two new multistoried institutes will carry out experiments and develop model programmes for rural development and poverty alleviation.

The secretary, in his welcome speech, said the construction of three more institutes in three other divisions is now underway under projects aimed at poverty alleviation and rural development.