Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Md Tazul Islam yesterday said the country's GDP growth will be increased by 1 percent once the Padma Bridge is completed. "The country's GDP growth will continue to rise. Once our Padma Bridge is completed, it'll be increased by 1 percent.The Dhaka-Chattogram highway has been upgraded to four-lane one which is also contributing to boosting the GDP," he said.

The minister was inaugurating a conference on 'Planning for Sustainable Cities and Settlements' arranged byBangladesh Institute of Planners (BIP) at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre (BICC). He said the waste management will be a challenge for the country in future."The biggest challenge for us in the coming days will be waste management. Waste is being dumped in rivers, canals and beels. This needs to be stopped," he said.