Zubaer, Pirojpur

In a major step forward toward transforming regional connectivity and establishing Nesarabad Upazila as a potential economic zone, Bridges Division Secretary and Bangladesh Bridges Authority Registrar, Md. Abdur Rouf, inspected the potential sites for a bridge construction project over the Sandha River on Saturday.

Commencing his tour via a speedboat route from Kawkhali in the morning, the Secretary alongside senior officials surveyed the ferry ghat networks and banks near Napitkhali and Sohagdal areas of Nesarabad upazila. During the inspection, the delegation held coordination meetings with Nesarabad Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Amit Datta, Assistant Commissioner (Land) Raihan Mahamud, local public representatives, and community leaders. The team evaluated key technical parameters, including river navigability, projected traffic load, infrastructural viability, and socio-economic outcomes.

Divided by the Sandha River, Nesarabad Upazila consists of ten unions and one municipality, with six unions isolated on the western bank. Constructing a bridge across this expanse has been a long-standing demand of over two lakh residents. The bridge will eliminate daily commuting hazards, link Nesarabad, Kawkhali, Nazirpur, and Banaripara, and stimulate industrialization, agricultural supply chains, and investment in Southern Bangladesh.

Local residents highlighted that the State Minister for Housing and Public Works, Ahmad Sohel Monjur, MP, who represents the Pirojpur-2 constituency, had pledged to prioritize this bridge project. Formally backing the initiative, Swarupkathi Pourashava BNP General Secretary Md. Moinul Hasan added that Nesarabad is famously regarded as one of the most prominent trading hubs in Bangladesh, and a permanent bridge over the Sandha River will foster crucial business integration and logistical velocity.

Briefing journalists following the field review, Bridges Secretary Md. Abdur Rouf remarked, "Nesarabad is recognized as a highly vital commercial hub in Pirojpur. Both the Prime Minister and the State Minister are treating the demand for a bridge over the Sandha River with utmost priority, which prompted this direct feasibility study."

"We expect to wrap up the formal technical and economic feasibility study within the next eight months. Once the report is finalized, we will be able to determine the budgetary allocations, structural architecture, and exact dimensions to initiate the formal construction process. Large-scale engineering works require rigorous assessments, and we will move forward to secure state approval as soon as the definitive report is submitted to the government," the Secretary added. Local stakeholders anticipate that the top-tier bureaucratic inspection will fast-track the project.