A citizens’ group has alleged that Kewatkhali Steel Arch Bridge is being constructed in an “illegal design” in Mymensingh, which will lead to traffic gridlocks and doubling of expenditure.
Sadajagrata Mymensingh made these allegations at a press conference at the National Press Club in Dhaka on Sunday.
Sources said the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) had approved the design of the bridge involving Tk 3,263.63 crore.
Concerns have also arisen as the original approved design of the bridge has been changed without authorisation.
The group has alleged that the change will double the estimated cost of the bridge initially and create massive traffic gridlocks in the “faulty bridge” area.
They warned that the construction of the bridge without following the approved design could lead to severe traffic congestion in Mymensingh city.
In a written statement, founder of Sadajagrata Mymensingh Abul Kalam Al Azad said although the project was scheduled to end by 2025, its work was going on at a snail’s pace.
He further stated that due to the illegal design, an additional 32 acres of land have been acquired by evicting existing structures, canals, water bodies, and farmland, along with the construction of a 30-foot-high, 2-kilometre-long road.
This will increase the total cost by an extra Tk 2,000 to Tk 3,000 crore beyond the original budget.
During the press conference, a video presentation was shown highlighting the deviation from the ECNEC-approved design for the bridge.
Azad said that the ECNEC had approved the bridge design on September 23, 2021. As per that design, the main bridge was supposed to be 320-metre with 5.1kilometes of connecting roads on both sides, making the total length of the project 6.2 kilometres.
However, the connecting roads have been extended to 8.2 kilometres, which goes beyond the ECNEC approval.
Instead of the original plan, a curved U-shaped road —approximately 2,300 metres — is now being constructed in Shambhuganj China Crossing area.
This unusually curved road connects to the access road of the old China Bridge, raising serious concerns of massive traffic congestion throughout Mymensingh city and surrounding areas.
Speakers at the press conference alleged that several real estate projects and corrupt syndicates are behind the push for this unauthorised construction.
While clarifying that they are not opposed to the construction of the bridge itself, members of the organisation demanded that all unauthorised work be halted immediately and that the bridge be completed according to the ECNEC-approved design.
Sadajagrata Mymensingh coordinator Halimdad Khan, Amirul Rajib of the Bangladesh Tree Protection Movement, Syeda Ratna of the Tetultola Field Protection Movement and environmental activist Ibnul Said Rana also spoke at the conference.