Bridge in Chandpur's Hajiganj sans approach roads for years

CHANDPUR, Jan 31: The Hajiganj Toraghaor-Borkul Bridge over the Dakatia River in Chandpur district has been lying unused for years for want of approach roads.
Construction of the main body of the bridge was completed long seven years ago and the electrification system was also installed at the bridge site.
Only work of the approach roads of the bridge that started recently is yet to be completed.
Several thousand people living in the Torag haor, Borkul, Roychow, Rasulpur, Aulia, Moishamura, Sarbatara and Molladahar, Gondorvopur Uttar and Dakhshin and also neighbouring Ramganj, and Roypur upazilas are suffering for not being able to use the bridge.
Mujibur Rahman Majumder, 59, a local trader in Torag haor area in Chandpur district alleged, "The bridge's work is going on at a snail's pace. How long will we have to wait for this bridge to complete?"
Hanif Mia, 40, a local auto-rickshaw driver at Rasulpur village of the district, said, "We have been suffering for many years waiting for completion of the bridge work."
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Hajiganj Engineer Rizwanur Rahman said, "LGED is implementing the bridge project at a cost of approximately Tk380 million (38 crore) including viaduct and approach roads on both ends.
An amount of Tk 150 million (15 crore) was spent for land acquisition.
He further said, "The bridge is 250 metres long and 24 feet wide. The approach roads are 277 metres."
Engineer Rizwanur said, "Most of the work of the bridge has been completed".
He expected that the remaining work will be completed within next six months. Then the bridge will be opened to traffic.
"Once completed, the bridge will be a milestone in the communication sector and local trade and commerce will immensely flourish and thus it will usher in a new era of development for thousands of people of Hajiganj, Ramganj and Roypur upazilas."
The work of the bridge was given to a construction company named M/s Surma -RBL-JV- Company who started the work in February 2017. The entire work was supposed to be completed within one year, by 2018.
Meanwhile, work of the Woot Toli Bridge in Faridganj upazila over the Dakatia River has not yet started in full swing, although long time has elapsed in the meantime.
It is a connecting bridge between Faridganj and Hajiganj upazilas. It was a long cherished demand of thousands of people of some 20 villages of both the upazilas. The work of the bridge started in early 2023 and some primary works were done too by the contractor's men and workers. Later, the work was stalled.
For the past six months, the work has remained halted, alleged locals, saying they are really disappointed for the deadlock.
For want of this important bridge, thousands of men, women and children of Olipur, Badarpur, Bachpur, Munshirhat, Sholla, Uvarampur, Sachonmegh, Kaithara and a few other villages and many school and college students in Faridganj and Hajiganj Upazilas have been suffering much for many years.
Abdur Rahman,67, a local of Olipur village of the district, said, "It is not exactly known when the work would resume. Or when the entire work of the bridge would be completed."
Emon Hossain, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw driver of the same village, said, "Locals have appealed to the authorities to complete the bridge's work as soon as possible to mitigate our long-time sufferings".
LGED, Faridganj Upazila Engineer Abrar Ahmed said, "LGED is implementing work of the 550-metre long bridge having 11 spans and 12 pillars at a cost of Tk 1.07 billion (107 crore). The work of the bridge was supposed to be completed by June, 2025."
He further said, "The bridge's work began and some primary works were done, but after a few weeks, for some reasons, the work was stopped. Meanwhile, six months have passed away."
He further said, "Soon re-tender would be called and then work of the bridge would resume."

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