News Watch- (16-1-2019)

Padma Bridge: Design of last two piers finalised

The authority concerned has finally overcome the pier-related problems in Padma Bridge design by finalising the design of its last two piers, which is expected to speed up construction work of the country's longest bridge. Officials said design of the 'problematic' two piers, out of the 14, has been confirmed by increasing one pile in each pier. Earlier, the piers were designed with six piles each. "We have confirmed addition of one pile to the previously-designed six piles in each pier to increase strength," said Project Director of Padma Multipurpose Bridge Project Shafiqul Islam. — FE Report

B’baria road crash kills five

BRAHMANBARIA, Jan 15: Five people were killed and four others injured when a microbus plunged into a roadside ditch at Birpasha in Bijoynagar Upazila on Tuesday. Highway police said the accident took place around 3pm on Dhaka-Sylhet Highway. "A Sylhet-bound microbus from Dhaka veered into a roadside ditch, killing five of its passengers on the spot," highway police OC Hossain Sarkar said. The injured were taken to a local hospital. The identities of the victims could not be known yet. — UNB