Sundarganj (Gaibandha) Correspondent:

The 1,490-meter-long Maulana Bhashani Bridge built on the Teesta River has been inaugurated. The Maulana Bhashani Bridge built on the Teesta River has established direct road connectivity from Chilmari Upazila Sadar of Kurigram to Panchpir Bazar of Sundarganj Upazila of Gaibandha.

On Wednesday afternoon, Asif Mahmud Sajeeb Bhuiyan, Advisor in Charge of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, officially unveiled the plaque and mural at the southern end of the bridge. At that time, he spoke as the chief guest at the post-inauguration exchange meeting organized by the upazila administration.

Also present at the meeting were Chief Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department Abdur Rashid Mia, Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Chowdhury Moazzam Ahamed, Executive Engineer Ujjal Chowdhury, Upazila Nirbahi Officer Raj Kumar Biswas and leaders of various political, social and cultural organizations.

The inauguration of the bridge created a festive atmosphere in the riverside area. Locals took out a joyous procession with drums and drums. The opening of the bridge after a long wait has created a lot of excitement among the common people of the two districts.

According to LGED sources, the bridge was constructed at a cost of about 985 crore taka with the funding of the Saudi Development Foundation and the Chinese contractor China State Construction Engineering Corporation. Under the project, land acquisition, construction of connecting roads, river control and modern lighting systems have been installed in addition to the main bridge.

290 piles, 155 girders, 30 pillars and 28 spans have been installed on the bridge. 1.5 kilometers of river control has been done at both ends. In addition, 58 bridges and culverts have been built under the 86-kilometer connecting road. A total of 133 acres of land has been acquired.

Although the foundation stone of the bridge was laid on January 26, 2014, the actual construction work began in 2021. Although the infrastructure work was completed in June 2024, the bridge has finally been opened to the public after overcoming various complications.

Locals said that the opening of this bridge will radically change the communication system between Gaibandha and Kurigram districts. People of the two districts expressed hope that it will play a major role in overall and social development and will also greatly expand trade and commerce. The transportation of agricultural products will be easier, new horizons of trade and commerce will be opened and it will bring equal benefits in education and healthcare.