NN Online:
The 1,490-metre-long Maulana Bhasani Bridge over the Teesta River, on the Panchpir Bazar–Chilmari Upazila Sadar road, connecting Sundarganj Upazila of Gaibandha District with Chilmari Upazila of Kurigram District, is set to be inaugurated on Wednesday.
LGRD Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain will formally open the bridge in Gaibandha, according to a press release from the ministry on Monday.
Constructed with funding from the Government of Bangladesh (GoB), the Saudi Fund for Development (SFD), and the Opec Fund for International Development (Ofid), the project cost a total of Tk925 crore.
The bridge, measuring 1,490 metres in length and 9.60 metres in width, features two lanes and 31 spans. It is a pre-stressed concrete girder bridge.
The new link between Sundarganj and Chilmari is expected to facilitate faster and more cost-effective transport of industrial and agricultural products, fostering opportunities for small and medium-scale industries.
Improved connectivity across the river will also enhance educational access in the region. The project is projected to generate both short- and long-term employment for disadvantaged communities, boost local socio-economic conditions, and contribute to national economic growth.
Additionally, the bridge will establish a new transport corridor, reducing travel distances by 40 to 60 kilometres between Kurigram District—including the Bhurungamari land port—and Dhaka, as well as other key destinations in the southern region, while promoting tourism opportunities.
