Work on Jadukata Bridge lies stalled for one year

SYLHET JUNE 11. The construction work of the bridge over the Jadukata River in Tahirpur upazila of Sunamganj district has remained stalled for one year for reasons unknown, necessitating a robust demonstration by local residents seeking its immediate resumption.
As part of the agitation, the demonstrators staged a human chain and held a rally near the construction site of the bridge on Monday (June 9) morning pressing for completing the bridge work at the earliest possible time.
The demonstrators in their hundreds participated in the rally which was presided over by former headmaster of Gaghtia Government Primary School Pabitra Kumar Roy.
Speakers at the rally said that construction work of the bridge, a longstanding demand of the region, has been lying suspended for a year for mysterious reasons.
The work was started seven years ago with a completion target of two and a half years, but it is still lying incomplete.
Once the work is complete, the bridge will connect a backward border road of Sunamganj with a road in neighbouring Netrakona district towards Dhaka, they said, adding the bridge will usher in a new era in the vast region's road network.
Official sources said leading infrastructure development company Toma Construction was awarded the job of constructing the 750 metre bridge involving Tk860million (Tk 86 crore) in 2018.
But the firm has already been given 4th extension of time and the progress of construction work is 75 per cent so far.
However, already the company has drawn Tk650 million (Tk 65 crore) bill, Tk10 million (Tk one crore) above the total work done.
The work has remained suspended for a year while 12 out of 15 spans have been placed while 60 out of 75 guarders have been constructed.
Work on the pillars of the bridge, whose construction was inaugurated on April 12, 2018, was completed a year ago.
The agitators announced that they would soon submit a memorandum to the Chief Adviser seeking immediate completion of the bridge work.
If needed, a tougher agitation programme would be announced, they threatened.
The bridge is expected benefit 0.7 million people of Tahirpur, Jamalganj, Dharmapasha and Madhyanagar upazilas of the district and facilitate movement of the tourists in Barik Tila, Shimulbagan, Niladri Lake, Tekerghat Tanguar Haor etc.
In addition to improving the vast haor and border region's road network, the bridge would make communication easier with the capital city through Madhyanagar upazila and Netrakona district.
Poribesh of Haor Unnayan Sangstha president Kashmir Reza, social activist Abul Hossain, Gonokalyan Foundation president Sarwar Hasan, Shikhkhok forum chairman Salman Ahmed and others addressed the rally.
An official at the local office of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) said the work has been delayed for various reasons. We would soon resume it."