SM Shipper,
Nazirpur ( Pirojpur)

An arch bridge is being constructed over the Mara Baleshwar River in the border area of Sheikh Mathia in Nazirpur upazila of Pirojpur and Andarmanik in Kachua upazila of Parshabati Bagerhat district, according to Kachua Upazila LGERD sources.

The construction cost of the 114-meter-long bridge, which is 20 meters long and 10 meters wide, is about Tk 153 million. However, there is no paved or wide road suitable for movement to connect with the bridge in the Nazirpur section. Although there is a path to the river bank, it is not possible for normal vehicles, including ordinary people, to use it. Although the construction work of the bridge is progressing, there is no visible infrastructure of an effective connecting road at the Nazirpur end.

A contracting company called 'ARC' is managing the construction of the bridge under the LGERD Bagerhat Executive Engineer. According to information provided by Abul Kalam, MD of ARC Contracting Company, about 40% of the bridge work has been completed, but it was seen on the ground that there is no visible connection road infrastructure at the Nazirpur end.

Local residents complain that it is incomprehensible why a 114-meter-long bridge is being built when the width of the Mara Baleshwar River is only 20 meters. Although there is a 12-foot paved road in the Kachua part of Bagerhat across the river, there is no developed road to reach the bridge mouth at the Nazirpur end. The poor condition of the road causes further suffering during the rainy season. As a result, there is concern among the locals about how easy it will be for people to move around in that area even after the bridge is completed.

The history of bridge construction is associated with facilitating the movement of people and bringing isolated towns under communication. Without a connecting road to the bridge, the desired communication system cannot be created. Therefore, locals say that it is necessary to build effective roads on both ends along with the bridge.

Meanwhile, there are different views on the location and administrative boundaries of the bridge. The executive engineer of Bagerhat said that according to the map, a part of the river falls within Bagerhat district, and accordingly, tenders have been invited from Bagerhat. Locals from Nazirpur side said that the river is now within Sheikh Mathia's jail 54 and Mouza 67. On the other side of Kachua upazila, the executive engineer of Nazirpur upazila said that he does not know anything about the construction of the bridge.

However, a reliable source says that Sheikh Tanmoy, a former MP from Bagerhat-2, son of the cousin of the fugitive former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, used his power to bid for the construction of the bridge over the dead Baleshwan River in Nazirpur from Bagerhat LGERD. Locals have called it a mega project of the Sheikh family. Some believe that there was doubt about the construction of the bridge if the Hasina government had not fallen on August 5, 2012.

When the contractor, Abul Kalam, MD of ARC, went to the spot to see the schedule after complaining about the use of bricks instead of stones in the bridge construction, not using the right rods, and not giving the correct length of piles (pillars), he refused to show it. When asked to give his statement on the allegations of irregularities in the bridge construction, he refused to give it. When asked for a means of communication with the head of the institution, he refused to give it.

In this situation, discussions are underway among the locals about the project plan, design, administrative boundaries and connection road of the bridge under construction at a cost of about 15.3 million taka. The authorities have said that after the construction of the bridge, roads will be built on both sides. However, it is still unknown to the locals when the road will be built.

Kachua Upazila LGRD Engineer Asif Ehsan said, "I have just joined this station, I have no idea about the approval process for this work. If you need any information, please talk to the higher authorities."

Bagerhat LGED Executive Engineer Mohammad Manjur Rashid said that the allegations of irregularities in the work and concealment of the schedule will be investigated. When asked how this project, which is not in the public interest except for the connection road, was approved and released, he said, "I am new here. Those who were there in the past have done their work by observing and listening."
When asked about the rationale for building a 114-meter arch bridge on a 20-meter river, he said, "You won't understand this, we haven't given such a big proposal." When we gave a proposal for a bridge, the bridge was included in their project category in the Ministry of Shipping. Initially, there was no such long bridge. If you come to the office, I will explain. When asked why the Nazirpur Upazila administration and LGERD are not aware of this project, he said, "Of course they would know because the bridge is being built in their border area." He said, "They know about it." He said, "Have there ever been joint field inspections with officials of the two upazilas to ensure the connection road at the Nazirpur end?"

The demands of the conscious civil society, the bureaucrats, engineers and then policy makers responsible for approving projects without inspection and building bridges without connecting roads should be identified and exemplary punishment should be provided through an impartial investigation. Before building the bridge, the road should be constructed quickly and the bridge should be made suitable for public use. Before undertaking any mega project in the future, impartial feasibility studies, local opinions should be taken and specific policies should be followed.