Renaming Bangabandhu rail bridge on cards before Jan opening

The interim government is planning to rename the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge over the Jamuna River before its opening next month.

"The bridge will be renamed ahead of its inauguration," Road Transport and Bridges Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan told The Business Standard.

"While the name is yet to be finalised, it could be based on the location or a martyr from the July-August uprising," he added.

Officials expect the Tk17,000 crore bridge to be completed next month.

"Thus far, we have achieved an overall progress of around 96%, with construction work progress at 99%. By December, we will complete all work necessary for rail operations," Project Director Al Fattah Md Masudur Rahman shared with TBS.

"So, we aim to open the bridge for rail operations in the second week of January next year," he added.

However, he said while they have proposed the second week of January, the specific date will be decided by the adviser.

Although rail services may begin in January, some work – particularly the installation of a digital, computer-based signalling system – is expected to continue until April.

Masudur Rahman said, "The installation of a digital, computer-based signalling system may take until April. However, this delay will not affect rail operations, as analogue signals can be used temporarily."

The new bridge is being constructed 30 meters upstream of the existing Jamuna Bridge, which was inaugurated in 1998, connecting Dhaka to the northern and southwestern regions by rail.

However, structural issues have led to speed restrictions, causing delays and passenger inconveniences.

Currently, the existing Jamuna Bridge features a single-line railway. In 2008, the train speed was further reduced after a crack appeared in the bridge.

Trains now move slowly on this line; if a train departs from the East station, the train from the West station has to wait. Presently, around 38 trains cross the bridge daily at a speed of 20 km/h.

The new rail bridge, however, is a dual-gauge line, enabling both broad-gauge and meter-gauge trains to use it. Once operational, the bridge is expected to accommodate up to 88 trains daily at speeds of 100 to 120 km/h.

Initially budgeted at Tk9,734 crore, the project underwent revisions, bringing the total cost to Tk16,780.95 crore.

The main work began in 2020.

Of the total cost, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) has provided Tk12,149.19 crore, while the remaining Tk4,631.76 crore came from government funds.

The project deadline is December 2025, with a one-year defect liability period.