The 8th Bangladesh-China Friendship Bridge officially opened to traffic on September 4. It was aided by the government of the People's Republic of China to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, and built by Chinese enterprises. Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming and Bangladeshi Minister of Road Transport and Bridges Obaidul Quader attended the opening ceremony. At the ceremony, Hasina expressed gratitude to China for the financial and technical assistance in the construction of the bridge, and said that the completion and opening of the bridge will give more impetus to the local economy.
