Bridge over Kirtinasha: 7 years on, work still half done
Meanwhile, people keep suffering following the demolition of the old bridge in January this year as they have to depend on only four engine-driven boats currently in operation against the huge pressure of passengers. Overcrowding often leads to accidents
Thousands of residents of two upazilas of Shariatpur are facing immense hassles due to unusual delays in the construction of the Language Movement Martyr Dr Golam Mawla Bridge over the Kirtinasha River in Naria upazila.
Also, transportation of goods to and from the two upazilas – Naria and Bhedarganj – is facing disruptions.
According to the project officials, construction of the new bridge is delayed due to cancellation of tender, changing the bridge's design and complications over piling work. They said the bridge has progressed only halfway since the construction began in 2017 with the latest deadline expiring on 9 June this year.
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Meanwhile, people keep suffering following the demolition of the old bridge in January this year as they have to depend on only four engine-driven boats currently in operation against the huge pressure of passengers. Overcrowding often leads to accidents.
Yesterday, around 9:30am, several passengers fell off a boat as it crashed into a pillar of the new bridge due to overloading amid strong currents in the river. However, no fatalities were reported as they managed to swim ashore, said Naria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Shankar Chandra Das.
Hassles and delays
A resident of Naria, Din Islam told The Business Standard, "Previously, we could easily commute from one end of Naria to the other taking vehicles, at a much lower cost. However, now it takes more time and cost, coupled with a lot of hassles."
Imam Hossain, a class-XI student of Naria Government College, said every morning, the ferry ghat is filled with crowds of passengers. The overcrowding often leads to students missing their classes due to delays in crossing the river.
A bus driver in the area, Mohammad Ali said the passengers of Dhaka-Naria route are yet to enjoy the full convenience of Padma Bridge, as buses from Dhaka stop at the western end of the Kirtinasha River. As a result, people travelling to Naria and Bhedarganj are suffering to reach their destination.
Change in contractor
Sources from the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) told TBS that to ease Shariatpur-Dhaka road communication, a 105-metre bridge, named Language Movement martyr Dr Golam Mawla Bridge, was constructed on the Kirtinasha River in the fiscal 1997-98.
In 2015, the bridge was declared risky and the traffic was closed. In 2017, the LGED initiated a project to substitute the old bridge with a new 145-metre-long bridge, at a total cost of Tk14.87 crore, and scheduled the project completion for June 2019.
However, the contractor of the project, Navana Construction Ltd, left the project abruptly following a change in the bridge's design. The company did only 30% of the work and got their tender cancelled.
Later, another tender was floated to complete the bridge. This time, the project cost was estimated at Tk28.86 crore to construct the bridge of 9.8-metre width and 327-metre length – 105-metre main bridge and 222-metre viaducts.
Construction company Kohinur Enterprise was assigned to construct the bridge, within a project duration of one and a half years, from 12 December 2021 to 9 June 2024.
Khalilur Rahman, the site manager of the contractor, pointed out that tender cancellations, design change, and piling-related complications, among other reasons, are behind the construction delay.
"However, we are working," he told TBS, a few days before the contract tenure was over.
Yesterday, no physical construction work was visible at the site when this correspondent visited.
Last month, Executive Engineer of Shariatpur, SM Rafeul Islam, told TBS that they had to face many technical problems while constructing the bridge. Firstly, the first tender was cancelled when the contractor, Navana Construction, expressed reluctance to continue the work due to a design change. Then it took one and a half years to float the new tender.
"Meanwhile, complications have arisen over the piling on the site."
He added that they will float a new tender to complete the project. "Around 50-55% of work has been done in 7 years. We hope to finish the construction of the bridge within the next one year."
