A costly bridge in Manikganj waiting for roads
According to the officials, the delay stems from complications in land acquisition. About 6.20 acres of land were acquired for the approach roads, and Tk12.10 crore was allocated to compensate affected landowners.
Rising gracefully over the Kaliganga River in Ghior upazila, the concrete bridge at Baikunthapur was meant to end decades of isolation for dozens of villages, yet today (3 January) it stands idle, cut off from the very communities it was built to serve.
Three years after its completion, the Tk42.34-crore structure remains unused, reminding us how poor planning can turn development into despair, locals said.
With no approach roads on either end, the 365-meter-long bridge has failed to deliver its promise of connectivity. For residents of at least 30 villages on both banks of the river, daily life remains shaped by hardship, risk, and long detours.
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Rather than easing communication, the bridge has become a symbol of frustration, according to villagers.
They said they continue to cross the Kaliganga by ferry boats, often at personal risk, while motorcycles, vans, and rickshaws are ferried across the river one by one.
"What should have been a journey of minutes now takes hours—or requires travelling nearly 15 kilometers extra to reach essential destinations," said Habibur Rahman of Baliabadha village.
Constructed under the Construction of Important Bridges on Rural Roads (CIBRR) project, the bridge's construction began in 2018 following a tender process, officials said.
They said the project included approach roads, with land acquisition factored into the overall cost. While the main bridge was completed in 2022, the crucial connecting roads never materialised.
According to the officials, the delay stems from complications in land acquisition. About 6.20 acres of land were acquired for the approach roads, and Tk12.10 crore was allocated to compensate affected landowners.
However, delays in distributing compensation checks meant landowners did not hand over possession of their land, bringing construction to a standstill. "As a result, the bridge has remained idle for three years—a costly piece of infrastructure serving no practical purpose," said an official, preferring anonymity.
