Akhaura-Agartala road closed for 2 days for bridge construction, businesses fear Tk3 crore loss

All kinds of vehicular movement will be suspended on the Akhaura-Agartala route in Brahmanbaria for two days starting today due to the construction of a bailey bridge, said the Roads and Highways Department. 

As a result, trade activities, particularly the import and export operations at Akhaura Port, will be adversely affected.

Business owners anticipate a loss of at least Tk3 crore. Additionally, the government will also be deprived of remittances.

Moreover, international bus services with India through the port will remain suspended.

The Brahmanbaria District Roads and Highways Department is constructing a girder bridge over the Jhanji River in the Gajirbazar area of Akhaura. As the construction is expected to take some time, an alternate unpaved road has been arranged to maintain normal traffic flow.

However, the road next to the girder bridge faces the risk of being washed away during the upcoming monsoon, which would adversely affect the trade operations at the port.

To mitigate this risk, the construction of a Bailey Bridge is being prioritised before the rainy season, said Executive Engineer of Brahmanbaria Roads and Highways Department Mir Nizam Uddin Ahmed.

The work on this bridge started yesterday (16 May) night.

As a result, all types of vehicular movement on the Akhaura-Agartala road will be suspended today and tomorrow to facilitate the bridge construction.

Consequently, trade at Akhaura Port will be severely affected. Although small pickup vans carrying fish from Gajirbazar to Kalikapur village will be allowed entry into the port through local roads, larger trucks carrying goods such as rice, cement, stone, and plastics will not be able to use the alternative route, said President of the Akhaura Customs Clearing and Forwarding Agents Association Hasibul Hasan.