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Speakers have demanded that construction of an unauthorised approach road under the Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge project in Mymensingh be stopped immediately, which they said defies the original ECNEC-approved design over the Brahmaputra River.
The demand came from a press conference under the banner of ‘Sadajajagroto Mymensingh’, a platform, held at 11 am on Sunday at National Press Club, UNB reports.
They also alleged that the construction work was also disregarding the original design approved by ECNEC, causing significant financial, environmental and social harm.
Abul Kalam Al Azad, chief organiser of ‘Sadajajagroto Mymensingh’ and coordinator of the Brahmaputra Protection Movement, said, Mymensingh has now become the world’s ninth slowest city. One of the main reasons is the severe traffic congestion at the Shambhuganj China Bridge.
To alleviate public suffering, ECNEC approved a road bridge in the Kewatkhali area on August 23, 2021, with a target completion date of June 2025.
Unfortunately, construction according to the approved design has yet to begin.
He pointed out that instead of following the original plan, a 2,300-meter-long curved U-shaped ramp is being constructed, connecting the new bridge to the road of the old China Bridge.
“This merges the roads of two separate bridges, creating risks of massive traffic jams and accidents,” he said.
Sources said, a total of 32 acres of land have been newly acquired for this ramp. This has resulted in the eviction of a canal, seven waterbodies, agricultural lands, a primary school, a mosque, a madrasa, 65 graves, numerous homesteads and business establishments.
Besides, a 30-foot-high, 2-kilometre-long road with multiple overpasses is also under construction, with projected additional costs of Tk 2,000 to 3,000 crore.
“This amount could fund the construction of two more bridges over the Brahmaputra River,” they said.
Speakers alleged that the project is being derailed by vested interests.
What was once a dream project for the public is being turned into a nightmare through conspiracy, they claimed.
They said the revised construction plan serves the interests of powerful real estate developers and corrupt individuals who are manipulating the project to increase land prices in the area.
They also noted that despite numerous appeals, memorandums and human chains by local residents, civic groups and organisations, the administration has remained largely silent.
The press conference was told that although a four-member investigation committee was formed by the ministry on January 22 this year and conducted a field visit on January 25-26, the report has not been made public to date.
Instead, the whistleblowers are reportedly facing threats, attacks and harassment through false legal cases.
Speakers also referenced a High Court ruling in the case "Abul Kalam Al Azad vs Government of Bangladesh and Others", where on June 4, the court issued a rule asking as to why the construction work deviating from the ECNEC-approved plan should not be stopped.
Following the HC rule, they urged the authorities to immediately halt the unauthorised work and proceed with the project according to the approved design.
Their key demands include-- immediate halt to all construction work beyond the ECNEC-approved original design, completion of the Kewatkhali Arch Steel Bridge project without further delay, separation of the connecting roads for the two bridges to prevent congestion,
avoidance of road and ramp construction that harms the environment and biodiversity and immediate publication of the investigation report and punishment of those involved in corruption.