Bangabandhu Bridge gets back its old name

The name of the then prime minister Khaleda Zia in the 1994 foundation stone, left, at the east end of Jamuna Bridge appears smudged. The name 'Bangabandhu Bridge' and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's name were repainted on the inauguration stones of the bridge at both ends recently as those were wiped off when BNP-led four-party came to power in 2001.Photo: STAROur Correspondent, Tangail

The names of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina have been re-written on the inauguration plaques of the Bangabandhu Bridge.

The Bangabandhu Bridge was renamed as 'Jamuna Multipurpose Bridge' by the previous BNP-led four-party alliance though it is still recognised as 'Bangabandhu Bridge' in paper.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the bridge, the eleventh longest bridge in the world and the second longest in South Asia, on June 23, 1998.

The bridge was named after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the decision was passed in the then parliament during the tenure of AL government.

The bridge authorities took the initiative in re-writing the names of Bangabandhu and Sheikh Hasina on the plaques at the both ends of the bridge on January 15 last, sources said.

The leaders and activists of the BNP-led four-party alliance erased the names of Bangabandhu and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from the plaques just after a day the four-party combine took over in 2001.

Meantime, the name of Khaleda Zia was erased from the foundation stone of the bridge at the east end of the bridge.

The then Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone during the construction of the bridge in 1994.