Chinese nationals miss their biggest festival this year

As the construction work of Padma Bridge gets momentum with a target to complete it by June next, majority of the Chinese nationals are not going home to join the celebration of Lunar New Year, China's biggest festival during the months of January and February.
They are not going home for the first time since joining the project in 2016, sources said.
Usually, a half or two-thirds of the Chinese nationals, who are working in the main bridge construction and river training work, go home during the occasion.
Though leaving for home would have been difficult for them due to travel restrictions and quarantine, sources said, the Chinese staff also felt the need for staying at the project site this year as the government of Bangladesh set a target to complete the bridge by June this year.
Their absence might hinder completion of the project within the timeframe, they added.
Manager (Administration) of the Major China Bridge Yu Shifeng said that the traditional festival is a most important moment for Chinese nationals and it's a nostalgic feeling for them to get a scope for meeting the family members.
"But this year, we are ready to miss it as completing the Padma Bridge is also important for us," he told the FE over phone.
The Padma Multipurpose Bridge (PMB) project suffered most in absence of the majority of Chinese people who went to their home to celebrate the festival in December 2019 at the beginning of coronavirus spread.
Due to the total lockdown in the Wuhan state of China at that time where the CMB headquarters is located, the PMB project office later had to take special arrangement to bring them back at the project site by June 2020.
More than 950 people under China Major Bridge and Sino Hydro Chinese companies used to work for construction of the 6.15-kilometre bridge. The number of Chinese manpower has by now come down to nearly 500 as the project is nearing completion.
Mr Yu said that against 376 Chinese staff, 358 are now working in the bridge site.
Project sources said that leaving for home would also require them to stay in quarantine for 45 days in Bangladesh and China. However, the Chinese people have also become engaged seriously to complete the project within the government deadline, they added.
"They're working day and night," said project director M Shafiqul Islam, adding that the finishing work has gotten momentum though a huge task remains to be done.
The PD said that the work on carpeting, expansion joint, railing, light post, gas line, walkway, 400 KV line installation, etc., have been carried out.

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