Padma River

The Padma is the name used in Bangladesh for a major transboundary river known in India as the main distributary of the Ganges river that originates in the western Himalayas. The most significant river in Bangladesh, it dissects the country and can only be crossed by ferry after a lengthy wait. Because of the difficulty in crossing it, the river effectively disconnects the impoverished and disasterprone southwest from the rest of the country, including the capital, Dhaka. According to some estimates a bridge would increase its GDP growth by 1.2 percent.