Second Teesta Bridge named Maulana Bhasani opens for Gaibandha, Kurigram traffic

The long-cherished dream of Gaibandha and Kurigram residents has come true with the opening of the second Teesta Bridge, officially named Maulana Bhasani Bridge.

The bridge was inaugurated by Local Government Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain at 12:30pm on Wednesday.

The bridge was opened at the Haripur Ghat entry point in Sundarganj Upazila, allowing vehicles and the public to cross.

The event sparked enthusiasm on both sides of the Teesta, drawing thousands of onlookers from early morning -- some with families, others in groups.

After the inauguration, Asif said: “We want to build a country where no ruler will ever bow to any foreign force. In this country, every person will stand tall and fight for their rights.”

“A country where no government or political party accepts inhumane acts such as releasing water to drown people or blocking dams to create scarcity.”

Highlighting the benefits of the bridge, the advisor said the people of Kurigram would now have faster access to Dhaka.

“This will open up opportunities for marketing agricultural produce and setting up industries.

“Improved road connectivity on both riverbanks will also support the expansion of education in this region,” he added.

He noted that it will generate short-term and long-term employment for low-income communities.

Ujjal Chowdhury, executive engineer of Gaibandha LGED, said the bridge has been constructed 28 kilometre (km) from Gaibandha town at Haripur Ghat in Sundarganj, connecting to Chilmari in Kurigram.

The project cost Tk 9.25 billion. Of this, the government provided Tk 2.69 billion, the Saudi Fund for Development contributed $50 million, and the OPEC Fund for International Development gave $25 million.

The project was implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) served as the main contractor.

Spanning 1,490 metres (m) in length and 9.6m in width, the pre-stressed concrete girder bridge is one of the largest ever undertaken by the LGED, according to Ujjal.

River training works of about 3.5km were carried out on both sides of the Teesta.

In addition, 86.67km of connecting roads, 68 culverts, and 11 small bridges have been constructed around the project.

Travel distance to Dhaka from Kurigram will be shortened, with up to three hours saved. Connectivity will improve not only for Kurigram but for several other districts in the northern region.

The second Teesta bridge project was approved by the then government in 2014 to strengthen connectivity between Gaibandha and Kurigram.

The foundation stone was laid on Jan 25 of the same year.

Bids for the project were invited on Nov 5, 2018, and construction by the Chinese firm began in 2021.