Three bridges built at a cost of nearly Tk600 million in Manikganj remain largely unusable because connecting roads have yet to be completed, depriving hundreds of thousands of residents of the benefits the projects were intended to deliver.
The bridges, constructed over the Ichamati and Kaliganga rivers and in Manikganj Sadar Upazila, cost a combined Tk597.5 million. However, delays in land acquisition and compensation payments have prevented the completion of approach roads, leaving the structures disconnected from the road network.
Officials say unresolved issues surrounding land acquisition, compensation claims and the removal of illegal structures have stalled the projects despite the completion of the main bridge infrastructure.
Local residents argue that the bridges were built to improve transport and connectivity, yet remain effectively unusable because vehicles cannot access them. They have questioned why compensation payments and land acquisition procedures were not completed before construction of the bridges was finalised.
One of the affected projects is the new bridge over the Ichamati River beside Jhitka Bazar in Harirampur Upazila. The government undertook the project to replace an ageing bridge that had become risky for motorists.
According to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), construction work worth Tk196.7 million was awarded to Dhruva Construction during the 2022-23 fiscal year. The bridge structure was completed in December 2024, but approach road construction has yet to begin because of land acquisition complications.
RHD Sub-Divisional Engineer Abdul Kader Jilani said the bridge itself is complete, but authorities have not yet obtained possession of all the required land.
“The approach road construction cannot begin until the land acquisition process and eviction of illegal structures are completed,” he said.
The contractor’s engineer, Sagar Ahmed, said some sand had already been deposited for the road embankment, but several shops still occupy parts of the proposed route.
“Once the land issues are resolved and the structures removed, the road can be completed quickly,” he said.
Another major project involves a 365-metre bridge over the Kaliganga River at Baikunthapur in Gior Upazila. Built at a cost of approximately Tk346 million, the bridge and its connecting roads were scheduled for completion in June 2022. Four years later, parts of the approach road remain unfinished.
Residents say the delay has left around 50,000 people in at least 30 villages facing significant transport difficulties.
During the dry season, many are forced to rely on boats or temporary wooden crossings to reach the other side of the river. Conditions become even more difficult during the monsoon.
Local resident Chanchal Mia said the bridge remains inaccessible despite the substantial public investment.
“The bridge was built for public convenience, but because the roads on both sides are incomplete, people still suffer. Women, children and elderly residents face the greatest hardship,” he said.
Some landowners allege they have yet to receive compensation, resulting in continued objections to the construction work.
Tara Mia, a resident on the eastern side of the bridge, said compensation should have been paid before work on the connecting roads began.
“Several of us are still waiting for payment. That is why many landowners have opposed the work,” he said.
A third bridge, built in the Joyra area of Manikganj Sadar at a cost of approximately Tk54.8 million, faces similar problems. Although the bridge structure has been completed, unresolved land acquisition issues have prevented the construction of approach roads.
The bridge was intended to ease congestion on the Manikganj Bus Stand-Bangladesh Hat road, where an earlier crossing had become a bottleneck, particularly after the establishment of Manikganj Medical College Hospital nearby.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Mohammad Ali said land acquisition was a continuing process and insisted that no project was currently stalled at the district administration level.
“The Baikunthapur and Joyra projects are progressing, and the remaining issues are being addressed,” he said.
LGED Executive Engineer in Manikganj SM Lutfor Rahman said Tk72 million had been transferred to the district administration for compensation payments related to the Baikunthapur bridge project.
“Nearly 80 per cent of affected landowners have already received compensation. We hope to complete the remaining payments soon,” he said.
Until the outstanding land issues are resolved, however, the three bridges remain costly pieces of infrastructure that local people are unable to use as intended.
