Bangladesh indebted to China for friendship bridges, eyes more infrastructure projects

"We used to have to spend hours at night to get to the other side of the river by ferry. At night, there used to be a lot of trouble for the patients to get to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment," he said.

"Some patients have died en route in the past, but this bridge has changed our fate and improved our lifestyle greatly," he added.

Shah Chand Bhuiyan, another Munshiganj district resident, said that the bridge had definitely made life a lot easier.

"Now that China has built this bridge, it has been very good for us in the Vikrampur area, as this area has now developed a lot of new businesses. Because of this bridge, the entire area has witnessed a huge development."

He added, "We are very happy to have this bridge. Words can't express our happiness."

For bus driver Nurul Kabir, the bridge is simply an indispensable lifeline.

He now conducts multiple trips to and from Dhaka daily and now nets a decent salary for his four-member family.

"I can earn more now as we can operate many trips in the same day."