Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Epaper

Lakhs of people suffer for incomplete bridge in Naria of Shariatpur

Published : Saturday, 9 October, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 815
Abul Bashar
The incomplete Dr Golam Mawla Bridge in Naria Sadar Upazila. photo: observer

The incomplete Dr Golam Mawla Bridge in Naria Sadar Upazila. photo: observer

SHARIATPUR, Oct 8: The construction work of Bhasha Sainik Dr. Golam Mawla Bridge over the Kirtinasha River in Naria Sadar Upazila has not been completed in the last six years.
The misery of several lakh people has reached its climax as movement from Shariatpur-2 Constituency, Naria and Shakhipur, as well as Bhedarganj Upazila have been closed.   
According to Naria Upazila LGED (Local Government Engineering Department) sources, the 99-metre-long bridge was built in 1996-97 to facilitate road connectivity between Dhaka and Naria and Shakhipur, and Bhedarganj.
The bridge became risky due to erosion by the Padma River in 2015. The local administration closed the bridge for vehicle movement by installing poles on both sides.
The construction of a new bridge started there in 2017. Due to the complexity of the design of the bridge, the contractor stopped the construction work in December in 2018.
LGED sources said the work of the bridge will be done by hiring a new contractor. Millions of people are suffering as the construction of the new bridge is not completed. Lakh of people from Naria, Shakhipur, Jajira and Bhedarganj upazilas are used to travel by the bridge. They are in extreme distress as the bridge is closed. The vehicles have to travel an additional 16/17 km through Prematala of Shariatpur Sadar.
An initiative has been taken to build a new bridge next to the risky bridge to reduce public suffering. The construction of the 145-metre-long bridge cost Tk 14.87 crore. On December 21 in 2017, the contractor Messrs Navana Construction was given the work order to build the bridge. It was supposed to finish the work by June in 2019.
But after several times of extension, only 30 per cent of the work has been completed.
When the bridge was under-construction, several areas in Moktarerchar, Kedarpur and Naria Bazar including municipality area were submerged due to the catastrophic erosion by the Padma two years back. The Padma River flows only 500 yards away from the bridge. The bridge is at risk of catastrophic collapse. In this situation, the contractor stopped the work of the bridge.
After a long hiatus, LGED redesigned and took the initiative to build a 327-metre-long bridge at a cost of Tk 31.21 crore. In this design, the flyover with the main bridge will come to the east bank of the Kirtinasha River, turn left and cross the Kirtinasha River bank, go straight north to the godown ghat and enter the market by the side of the post office.
Locals are in fear that this will damage their houses and businesses. They also expressed the view that the bridge would be at risk of erosion by the Paadma. It is because the river is only 40/50 yards away from Godown Ghat, where the water depth is at least 150 feet. If the bridge is built according to the current design, the government will lose a lot of money, and the bridge will be at risk of collapse.
Besides, people including traders will incur huge losses. So they have demanded changing the design of the bridge and building it according to the previous design.
Traders of Naria Bazar Abdur Rahman Sheikh, Babul Chowkidar, Ali Sikder and Jinnat Ali Peda said if the bridge is constructed under the new design, it will be at erosion risk from the Padma.
Our house and businesses will be destroyed, they added.
Naria Bazar traders Abul Hossain, Faizul Hasan, CNG driver Rakib Hossain and many others complained, year after year is passing but the bridge is not built.
For bringing goods by the road from Dhaka, traders have to turn 15 km and travel through Premtola in Shariatpur Sadar. It costs much time and money.
Md Shahjahan Faraji, executive engineer of LGED-Shariatpur, said the design was made in consultation with AKM Enamul Haque Shamim, MP (Shariatpur-2) and Deputy Minister for Water Resources.







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