Md Khizir Uddin, Sundarganj (Gaibandha)

Due to continuous rains over the past few days, a portion of the connecting road of the country's largest Maulana Bhashani Bridge, built by LGED in Sundarganj, Gaibandha, has collapsed. This has created a large hole in the road. The incident has caused concern among the locals.

Many are questioning the construction quality and long-term durability of the bridge and connecting road.
Locals demand that the collapse should be investigated urgently and necessary repairs and preventive measures taken to avoid major accidents in the future.

The Maulana Bhashani Bridge, built by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), is the largest bridge in the country. The construction cost was estimated at Tk 925 crore. The bridge is 490 meters long and 9.6 meters wide. It was financed by the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and the Saudi Fund for Development (OFID). Maulana Bhashani Bridge has been built on the connecting road between Haripur and Chilmari upazilas of Sundarganj upazila.

Local Md. Joynal Abedin said, "The country has spent crores of taka on building this bridge and road. If that road collapses after two or three days of rain, what have they done? We are very scared since we saw this collapse."

Haripur UP.Chairman Md. Mozaharul Islam said, "The pothole on the bridge's connection road has been created by rainwater. It is very sad. He also demanded that the pothole, which has become a hazard, be repaired immediately and permanently."

Majed Azad, a representative of the contractor company Nipa Enterprise, ATM Engineering, said, "Repair work is underway on the collapsed part. However, he said that this is not a permanent solution. He added that this problem will continue until water drains are installed on both sides of the connecting road of the Arch Bridge. I mentioned this at the beginning."

Deputy Assistant Engineer Kazi Mahbubur Rahman Milon, who is in charge of supervising the road paving work, said, "A landslide has occurred on the connecting road at the city intersection on the northern end of the Maulana Bhashani Bridge. I have seen the matter. The contractor has also been informed."

In response to another question, he said, "The Anam road breaks down in the rain water. And here the road was built by filling the river. So he thinks it is a normal thing."

Upazila Engineer Tapan Kumar Chakraborty said, "I have seen that the pothole has been created due to continuous heavy rains. Permanent repair work will be done very soon."
In response to another question, he said, "There was no negligence in the work. This situation was created due to water entering through rat holes, but there is no reason to fear," he added.

District Executive Engineer Md. Saiful Islam said, the matter is simple.