People suffer for delay in bridge construction in Chuadanga

The construction of a crucial bridge over the Mathabhanga River on Hat Road in Pirpurganj, Sadar Upazila of Chuadanga, has faced significant delays, primarily due to land acquisition issues related to the connecting road.

Official sources from the office of the Executive Engineer of Chuadanga LGED have revealed that work on this project began on February 17, 2021. The project entails the construction of a 90-meter PC girder bridge with a 2500-meter chainage on Hat Road in Pirpurganj. The foundation stone for this construction was laid on January 31, 2021, at a cost of Tk 6 crore 66 lakh 68 thousand 10, by the Member of Parliament for Chuadanga-1 constituency, Solaiman Haque Zoardar Chelun.

This substantial bridge construction project, covering less than 100 meters, is being executed locally under the management of Ilyas Hossain, the proprietor contractor of M/s Imi Motors of Chuadanga. He took over the project from the initial contractor, Nuruzzaman Miah of Kushtia M/s Saikat Enterprise JVCA.

Initial reports suggest that the landowners residing in the Hatkaluganj, Gangpara, and Pirpur villages on either side of the bridge had initially expressed enthusiasm and willingness to provide land for the crucial connection road. However, as the bridge's construction progressed, these landowners started to obstruct the construction of the link road, causing unexpected complications for the project.

To address these issues, a proposal for land acquisition was submitted to the ministry on January 2, 2023. After a series of approvals and deliberations, the land acquisition was finally approved by the ministry on July 16 of the same year. Subsequently, the proposal was sent to the Department of Environment for approval, which was granted on August 21. With the District Commissioner's consent, a proposal was forwarded to the Chuadanga District Commissioner's office on August 20 for further processing by the District Land Acquisition Wing.

Jahangir Alam, the Executive Engineer of Chuadanga LGED, explained, "The acquisition process is currently underway for 0.3418 acres in the Hatkaluganj area and 0.3064 acres in the Pirpur area. Once the land acquisition process is complete, the remaining construction work and the connecting road can be finalized. At that point, the bridge will be open to traffic."

Executive Engineer Jahangir Alam expressed frustration over recent negative news reports regarding the bridge project. He emphasized that these reports are unwarranted, as the bridge construction project was conceived to include the connecting road. The headlines, he noted, have emerged prematurely, without acknowledging the complexities and challenges that have arisen during the construction process.

The Mathabhanga River bridge on Hat Road in Pirpurganj is an essential infrastructure development for the region, with the potential to significantly improve transportation and connectivity. Despite the setbacks related to land acquisition, the project is steadily progressing towards completion. The cooperation of all stakeholders, including landowners, local authorities, and the construction team, is crucial to ensure the successful and timely completion of this much-needed bridge. Once finished, it will serve as a vital link between the communities on both sides of the river, fostering development and economic growth in the region.