Dhaka: Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader on Wednesday said the second span (superstructure) of the much-hyped Padma Bridge will be placed on pillars very soon.

"The rest of the spans will also be installed gradually," the minister said while addressing a discussion at National Press Club in Dhaka.

The National Press Club arranged the programme to celebrate the inclusion of the historic 7th March Speech of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the Memory of the International World Register, a list of the world's important documentary heritage maintained by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The first span of the 6.15-km bridge was installed on September 30.

Terming the BNP's stance on the upcoming national election 'contradictory' he said, "One of the BNP leaders is saying that the party will participate in the upcoming election in any situation while its another group claiming that they won't participate in any election to be held under the Sheikh Hasina government."

"What does BNP actually want --Caretaker government, subsidiary government or non-partisan government?" Quader, also the ruling party general secretary, said.

Quader said BNP has to understand it is not the present government but the Election Commission (EC) which will hold the election.

He said the present government will assist the EC like in other countries in the election and they will not be able to give any major decision. "They'll only do the routine works at this time."

Ministries and organisations related to the election will work under the control of the EC during this time, he added.

On Bangabandhu's 7the March Speech, the minister said the speech is the property of the people of the country who believe in the Liberation War spirit.

Though BNP founder Ziaur Rahman had lauded the speech before 1975, his party does not pay respect to it now, the minister said.

About the 9th wage board, he said, the Information Minister at the directive of the Prime Minister is going take initiatives by next week to implement it.

National Press Club president M Shafiqur Rahman, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) vice chancellor Prof Dr Kamrul Hasan Khan, Bhorer Kagoj Editor Shaymal Dutta, among others, spoke at the programme.