The Padma Bridge project in Bangladesh (Chinanews.com/Yuan Jirong）

The Padma Bridge project in Bangladesh, currently being built by a Chinese company, will boost Bangladesh's GDP by 1.5 percent and benefit more than 80 million people.

The Padma River is one of the major rivers in Bangladesh, and it usually takes at least 4 hours to cross the river by ferry including the waiting time, said Ahmed, a civil engineer from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh.

"During holidays, materials and personnel are ferried separately. During the day, people cross the river, and at night, materials cross the river. It is even harder to say how long it takes to wait," Ahmed added.

However, the Padma Bridge being built by China Railway Major Bridge Engineering Group Co.,LTD. will connect 21 districts in southern Bangladesh with Dhaka and put an end to a thousands year long history of crossing the river by ferry.

"When completed, the bridge will boost Bangladesh's GDP by 1.5 percent and benefit more than 80 million people," stressed Islam, director of the Padma Bridge project of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges in Bangladesh.