Farmgate footbridge to be inaugurated Sunday
The footbridge will be inaugurated at 11am.
The long-awaited Farmgate footbridge will be opened to the public on Monday, bringing much-needed relief to commuters who have been facing difficulties due to its absence in one of the busiest areas of the capital.
Dhaka North City Corporation Mayor Atiqul Islam will preside over the inauguration programme set to start 11am. Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal will grace the event as the chief guest.
The Farmgate footbridge, the country's first, has been non-existent for almost one and a half years. It was demolished for the construction of the capital's elevated expressway that partially opened on 2 September.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The authority of the elevated expressway took the responsibility of rebuilding this bridge. The construction was completed three months ago, but it is yet to be opened for public use.
The construction of the Farmgate footbridge began in May last year. Such a wide footbridge was built for the first time in Dhaka at a cost of about Tk20 crore. It is designed on the pattern of the Parliament building.
The contractor, Confidence Infrastructure Ltd, has extended the work period till September 15. Escalators and lifts are supposed to be installed at both ends of the footbridge for the convenience of pedestrians. Initially only stairs have been installed.
Earlier on 18 September, Engineer Mohammad Imtiaz Uddin, assistant general manager (AGM) of Confidence Infrastructure Ltd said, "We finished building the main bridge three months ago and wanted to open it for public use. But the city corporation has suggested that it be opened after the completion of beautification work below the bridge."
