Tk 13.5 Crore Bridge Built in a Dry Riverbed Site
Photo: Agamir Somoy
A bridge is under construction at a site with no visible river or canal, with the project estimated to cost around Tk 13.5 crore. The project is located at the Naya Dinggi Bus Stand area in Saturia upazila of Manikganj on the Dhaka-Aricha highway.
The project has sparked widespread discussion among locals, raising multiple questions. Residents say there is no water flow even during the monsoon season, so they question is why such an expensive bridge is being built. They allege that no proper feasibility study or ground assessment was conducted before approving the project. Locals also believe that constructing a bridge at such high cost without necessity does not serve public interest.
A field visit to the construction site shows a large garment factory nearby. To the north of the bridge site, there are tin-shed houses and shops, while to the south, several multi-storey buildings are under development. Although construction work is underway, various unplanned structures are also emerging on both sides of the bridge, which may further obstruct any potential water flow.
Piling is currently ongoing at the site. However, there is no information board or project signage installed, despite rules requiring display of project details during construction.
Local resident of Dhankora area, Reza Zaman Jipu, said, “I cannot understand why a bridge is being built here when there is no river or canal. There has been no water here for more than a decade.”
“With permanent and semi-permanent structures on both sides, there is no way for water to reach the bridge area. It would have been better not to build such an expensive bridge,” he added.
Project Manager of the contracting firm, Fazlul Haque, said the bridge is being constructed with an allocation of Tk 13.49 crore.
When asked whether a bridge is actually needed at the location, he said, “An underpass will be built under the bridge. Traffic will pass over the highway, not across it. Once completed, the bridge will reduce road accidents.”
Manikganj Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), Md Shahriar Alam, said the road is being upgraded to a four-lane highway and a parallel bridge is being built alongside an existing one.
He said a bridge built during the Pakistan era at the site was narrow and unsafe, and is being replaced with a larger, modern structure.
“According to government policy, existing bridges or culverts cannot simply be demolished. Even if there is no river or canal now, water flow may have been blocked due to filling. However, in case of sudden flooding, connectivity could be affected. That is why a new and larger bridge is being constructed here,” he added.
