The 1,490-meter-long “Mawlana Bhashani Bridge,” constructed over the Teesta River in Gaibandha’s Sundarganj upazila, has opened to traffic with a hope of unlocking new doors for regional connectivity and development.
Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain on Wednesday formally inaugurated the bridge located on the Panchpir Bazar–Chilmari Upazila Sadar road.
Officials of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner’s (DC) office and a delegation from Saudi Arabia were present on the occasion, reads a press release.
LGED constructed the bridge with 1,490 meters in length and 9.60 meters in width at a cost of Tk925 crore, jointly funded by the government of Bangladesh, the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID). The bridge features 155 girders.
China State Construction Engineering Corporation constructed the bridge as the prime contractor.
Officials said the newly constructed bridge will significantly improve connectivity between Sundarganj upazila in Gaibandha and Chilmari upazila in Kurigram.
This enhanced linkage will reduce travel time and costs, fostering industrial and agricultural production as well as the establishment of small and medium enterprises.
Additionally, with better connectivity and a stronger road network across both banks of the river, the region’s education system is expected to expand and improve.
The project would generate employment opportunities for the local poor in both the short and long term, contributing to socio-economic development and national economic growth, read the release.
The bridge would also boost tourism and establish a new transport corridor, reducing the distance between Gaibandha district and the capital Dhaka by about 100 kilometers.