Staff Correspondent

A newly built footbridge was opened for pedestrians at Farmgate, one of the busiest intersections in the capital, on Sunday.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal opened the footbridge built by the Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC) and financed by the First Dhaka Elevated Expressway Project Authorities for public use, cutting the ribbon in a ceremony.

DNCC Mayor Md Atiqul Islam and Chief Executive Officer Salim Reza, among others, attended the opening ceremony of the bridge, which was designed after the parliament building.

The bridge is 206 feet long and 21 feet wide, and it has a close-circuit camera monitoring system and direct entry facilities to some nearby markets. A total of Tk200 million was spent on the structure.

Speaking on the occasion, Mayor Atiqul Islam said, “The footbridge in Farmgate was one of the few that were built initially. But it was removed due to the construction of the elevated expressway.

“We have built a new, modern, and multipurpose bridge in place of it for pedestrians. It was designed after the parliament building, as it is a historical structure which is near the bridge.”

Requesting the Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) not to get a police box built by private companies, he said, “There is a necessity for a police box on the roadside. If the police apply to construct a police box through the DMP, they can do so through mutual understanding.

“We want to construct it in a planned way so that the structure does not create inconvenience both for pedestrians and the police.”

Speaking as the chief guest, Home Minister Kamal requested the DNCC authorities to build a restroom for the police near the footbridge as they have to carry out duties on the road and need to rest as well as relieve themselves.

The Farmgate footbridge built in the 1980s was bulldozed to make way for the Dhaka Elevated Expressway. The construction of the new footbridge started in May last year.