Five girders of under-construction bridge collapse sparking fear

SYLHET, May 25: Local residents are passing days in extreme panic as a sudden incident of five girders breaking down from the under-construction 'Shah Arefin-Adwait Maitree Bridge' on the Jadukata River has happened in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj.

Five girders on pillars No 3 and 4 of the bridge collapsed with a loud noise in the Binnakuli-Gorkati area of the upazila in the early hours of Monday, sparking widespread panic among the public and raising serious questions regarding infrastructure safety.

Locals allege that illegal sand extraction and the use of substandard materials are primary drivers of the girders' collapse and infrastructure failure.

Earlier in 2022, two girders of the under-construction bridge broke and fell into the river in the same area. Such an incident before completion of the bridge construction has created new uncertainty in the public mind about the project's progress.

Locals complain that the bridge girders were damaged in similar natural events before. Badaghat Union Parishad Chairman Nizam Uddin said, "This bridge, which was the dream of many people, has now become a thorn in their side. As the construction work was abandoned, a new tender was floated. A few days ago, some workers came and removed the rods and pipes supporting the girders. After that, the girders lost their balance and fell into the river." Former UP chairman Rakhab Uddin alleged that the contractor company had worked irresponsibly from the beginning due to political influence. The repeated collapse of girders has raised questions about the stability and safety of the entire bridge.

Haqiqul Islam, general secretary of the Jadukata River Sand and Stone Cooperative Society, said, "The pillars have become weak due to dredging sand from the site of the bridge in the dark of night. Due to the negligence of the contractor and lack of supervision by the administration, our dream of a bridge is now a nightmare.'

Tahirpur Upazila Engineer Zahidul Islam said that after receiving the news, senior officials visited the scene. An investigation committee has been formed to look into why the accident occurred. Further action will be taken on its report.

According to relevant sources, in 2018, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) took the initiative to build this 750-metre-long bridge over the Jadukata River for tourism and economic development.

A contracting company named 'Toma Construction' was awarded the work of the bridge, which was to be built at a cost of about Tk1.29 billion. Although the work was supposed to be completed by June 2021, it has not yet been completed even after such a long delay.

Besides, the firm left the construction site abandoned after the political change-over in 2024. Now there would be a cost escalation, sources alleged.

It is worth mentioning that the bridge is supposed to have a total of 15 spans and 75 girders. So far, the work of 60 girders has been completed. Due to recurrence of such accidents, there has been uncertainty about the completion of the bridge work on time. Once constructed, this bridge will make it easier to travel from the district headquarters to the border areas of Tahirpur upazila via Bishwambharpur upazila.

It will be easy to travel to and from Madhyanagar and Dharmapasha upazilas through the border area. There is a border market next to the bridge area. On the west bank of the river is the country's largest Shimul garden and Barik Tila, a beautiful natural beauty. Next to it are Tanguar Haor, Lakmachhara, Shaheed Siraj Lake (Niladri Lake), Tekerghat.

Thousands of tourists come to these places from different parts of the country every day. Apart from this, traders from Sunamganj town also visit Barachhara, Charagaon and Bagli customs stations in the border area every day.

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