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GAIBANDHA, Aug 20: The Mawlana Bhashani Bridge built over the Teesta River in Sundarganj, Gaibandha, was inaugurated on Wednesday with the hopes of major changes in the economic activity in the country's northern regions and groundbreaking communication development between northern towns.
The 1,490-metre-long and 9.6-metre-wide bridge has been constructed under a Tk 9.25 billion project of the Local Government Engineering Department, which also comprised 80 kilometres access roads around the infrastructure, 58 box culverts, and nine other bridges.
The Mawlana Bhashani Bridge will facilitate communication with southern regions, including Dhaka, and reduce the distance to Bhurungamari land port from some districts by 40-100 kilometres.
Direct connection with 10 markets including Belka Bazar, Panchpir, Dharmapur, Hat Lakshmipur, Sadulapur and Dhapherhat, will reduce the transportation cost of agricultural and industrial products.
Advisor Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives of the interim government, inaugurated the bridge and Imam and Khatib Maulana Mufti Md. Omar Faruk of Sundarganj Upazila Jame Mosque offered prayers following the inauguration.
The advisor shook hands with the locals of Gaibandha with a smiling face as the law enforcement agencies handled the massive crowd with due diligence.
Gaibandha Deputy Commissioner Choudhury Muazzam Ahmed, Superintendent of Police Nishat Angela, LGED Executive Engineer Ujjal Chowdhury and the authorities concerned with the bridge construction, along with the advisor's tour companions, were present at the time.
Hundreds of visitors from Gaibandha and Kurigram and thousands of ordinary people from Sundarganj-Chilmari upazilas began gathering on the banks of the Teesta since early morning on Wednesday. Some came with their families while some in groups to witness the festive ceremony.
The foundation stone of the bridge was inaugurated in 2014 and the bridge was finally opened after 11 years.
LGED sources said that the bridge was built with the funding of the Saudi government and under the supervision of China State Construction Engineering Limited.
Earlier, on August 10, the Local Government Division of the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives issued a government notification stating that the bridge will be called 'Mawlana Bhashani Bridge, Gaibandha'.
However, many locals are unhappy with the naming of the bridge and they have formed human chains and memorandums several times demanding that the bridge be named after freedom fighter Sharitullah Master, who has been leading a movement since 1995 and formed the 'Tista Bridge Implementation Committee'.
Previously, locals demanded that the bridge be named 'Sharitullah Master Teesta Bridge' to keep his memory alive.
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