Rajapur Bridge road collapsed before completion in Kulaura

The construction of the Rajapur Bridge over the Manu River in Kulaura Upazila of Moulvibazar was completed around five years ago at a cost of Tk 34 crore. However, the 7.5-kilometre connecting road on both sides of the bridge remains unfinished.

As a result, the bridge has remained largely unused despite being structurally complete. Although heavy vehicles are not yet permitted to use the bridge, local residents continue to cross it. Meanwhile, work on the connecting road is progressing at a very slow pace, raising concerns about whether the project can be completed within the extended deadline. Residents are demanding that the connecting road be completed quickly so that the bridge can finally be opened for public use.

The lack of an effective drainage system along the road has already caused serious damage. Even after light rainfall, major sections of the road have collapsed. During a visit to the area adjacent to Gajbhag Ahmed Ali High School and College in Prithimpasha Union on Wednesday afternoon, several large and small collapses were observed at approximately 8-10 locations along the connecting road.

Two of these damaged sections extended over an area of about 15-20 feet. Local residents are facing difficulties due to large potholes formed by the displacement of sand and bricks used in the road construction. They also fear that accidents could occur at any time. Residents allege that negligence and carelessness on the part of the contractor have significantly delayed the project.

They argue that proper construction practices could have prevented such extensive damage. According to locals, only about 50 percent of the project has been completed over the past five years.

Sharifpur Union BNP President Harun Ahmed said residents must take lengthy detours to reach the upazila headquarters for essential services. Students from several educational institutions also face significant transportation difficulties.

“The Rajapur Bridge has been constructed, but it is still not officially operational because the connecting roads remain incomplete. We demand that the road work be completed as soon as possible for the benefit of the people of Hajipur, Prithimpasha, Sharifpur, and the surrounding border areas,” he said.

Former Prithimpasha Union Chairman Comrade Abdul Latif, former UP member Abbas Ali, and social worker Faizul Haque expressed frustration over the slow progress. “The construction of the Rajapur Bridge connecting road is moving at a snail’s pace. If this continues, it will take much longer to complete.
The work must be finished quickly in the interest of the people of these three unions,” they said.

Former Hajipur Union Chairman and journalist Abdul Basit Bachchu said that once the bridge and connecting roads become operational, imported goods from Kailashahar, India, through the Chatlapur check post will reach markets across Kulaura, Juri, Beanibazar, Barlekha, and other parts of the Sylhet region much more quickly.

He added that fish from Hakaluki Haor and bricks produced in local kilns could also be exported to India more efficiently. The route would reduce travel distance by approximately 11.5 kilometres, lowering transportation costs and market prices while boosting trade through the Chatlapur land port and creating employment opportunities.

“More than one million people from Kulaura and surrounding upazilas are eagerly waiting for the inauguration of the Rajapur Bridge,” he said.

Rahat Islam, site manager of the contracting company Jamil-Iqbal, acknowledged that continuous rainfall had damaged parts of the road.

“Some sections of the road have been damaged due to heavy rain. We will repair them quickly,” he said.
Project Manager Akaid Hossain explained that the road damage resulted from water accumulation caused by inadequate drainage facilities.

“Until the carpeting work and protective structures on both sides of the road are completed, rainfall can cause damage. Since there is no effective drainage system, rainwater has accumulated and weakened sections of the road. These damaged areas will be repaired,” he said.

Kulaura Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sanjida Akhter said that the matter would be reported to the relevant authorities and necessary measures would be taken.

Executive Engineer Kaysar Hamid of the Roads and Public Works Division, Moulvibazar, said the contractor would repair the damaged sections during the ongoing construction work.

“Of the 20 culverts planned along the 7.5-kilometre connecting road, 16 have already been completed. Overall project progress stands at approximately 60 percent,” he said.

When asked why the contractor had failed to complete the work within the stipulated timeframe, he replied, “I have received instructions from higher authorities to take necessary action against the contracting company. The matter is currently under process.”

Questions remain about when the nearly Tk 100 crore project will be completed and when the much-anticipated Rajapur Bridge will finally be inaugurated. The slow progress has caused frustration and disappointment among local people.

According to officials from the Public Works Department and local residents, people from Prithimpasha, Hajipur, and Sharifpur unions had organised human chains and protests for several consecutive years demanding a bridge over the Manu River.

In response to these long-standing demands and to facilitate import-export activities with the Indian state of Tripura through the Chatlapur check post, the bridge project was approved by the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) in 2018.

The project included the construction of a 232.94-metre PC girder bridge, a 7.5-kilometre connecting road, and land acquisition at the 14-kilometre point of the Kulaura-Prithimpasha-Hajipur-Sharifpur road. The total estimated cost of the project was Tk 99.17 crore.

A Sylhet-based joint contracting firm, Jamnabhumi-Wahiduzzaman-Nirmiti, completed the bridge construction in June 2021 at a cost of Tk 34 crore. In 2020, another Sylhet-based joint contracting company, Jamil-Iqbal, was awarded the contract to construct the connecting roads on both sides of the bridge at a cost of approximately Tk 38 crore.

Although the road work was originally scheduled for completion by April 2022, complications related to land acquisition led to delays. The project was later divided into three phases, and the deadline was extended first to June 2025 and subsequently to June 18, 2026.