7 BNP leaders excluding Khaleda invited to Padma Bridge opening ceremony

The Bridges Division of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges has invited seven BNP leaders to the inauguration ceremony of the much-awaited Padma Bridge. 

Party's chairperson Khaleda Zia was not among those invited, though Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on 4 June said she will be invited to the inauguration programme.

Dulal Chandra Sutradhar, deputy secretary of the Bridges Division, handed over the invitation letter to BNP's Senior Joint Secretary General Ruhul Kabir Rizvi at party's Naya Paltan central office on Wednesday morning.

The invitees are- BNP Secretary General Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir, Standing Committee members Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain, Mirza Abbas, Gayeshwar Chandra Roy, Abdul Moeen Khan, Nazrul Islam Than and Vice Chairman Hafiz Uddin Ahmed.

When contacted, BNP Standing Committee member Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain said, "We have just been informed about the invitation. We will have a meeting at the party office and the decision regarding joining will be taken there. After that party's secretary general Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir will brief media accordingly."

The two-decade journey of the Padma Bridge dream will finally come to a close on 10am on 25 June when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the mega infrastructure. The move will change the fortunes of 19 districts in the south and south-west of the country.