Construction of ‘Unplanned’ Bridge Ordered to Halt New Design to Be Approved and Raised
Balaganj Correspondent: The construction of a “low” and “unplanned” bridge at Faturkharah in the haor area, near Rahmatpur-Goharmali in Balaganj Sadar Union, along the Sylhet-Sultanpur-Balaganj road, has been ordered to halt. A new design will be approved to raise the bridge by 3 feet. This decision follows news reports published in various newspapers.
On May 6, Engineer Md. Golam Mostafa from Design Division-2 of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) inspected the site in the afternoon. During his visit, local residents protested the construction of the “unplanned” low bridge, highlighting issues like the closure of waterways and other problems.
Present during the inspection were RHD Sylhet Executive Engineer Amir Hossain, Balaganj Assistant Commissioner (Land) Sarkar Mamunur Rashid, Balaganj Press Club President Shamim Ahmed, Vice-President Md. Abdus Shahid, Treasurer Zakir Hossain, Member Abul Kashem Ofik, former Chairman of West Gauripur UP Lutfor Rahman, politician Masuk Mia, and residents from several local villages.
Engineer Md. Golam Mostafa stated that considering the haor area’s context, the bridge was built too low. The design will be revised to increase its height by at least 3 feet. Executive Engineer Amir Hossain added that the bridge was being constructed according to a 2019 design. To accommodate the needs of local beneficiaries, a new design will be approved, and the construction will remain halted for now.
Reports about the issue were published in several national and local newspapers. The new bridge is being constructed beside an old steel bridge at a cost of approximately 16.5 crore BDT, awarded through a tender to a joint contracting firm named “Jon JB,” consisting of three partners.
Meanwhile, local residents have warned of a strong movement demanding the halt of construction unless the bridge is raised.
