A tale of neglect and sufferings
People of west Tangail have been facing immense suffering due to the delay in the reconstruction of a bridge on Louhajang river, which collapsed after half its construction was completed about a year ago due to the negligence of the authorities and contractors.
Although a Bailey bridge was constructed just beside the collapsed bridge, goods-laden heavy vehicles cannot move on it and locals are facing problems carrying their goods.
On the night of June 16 last year, this bridge collapsed. Even though one year has already passed, the authorities seem to be in no hurry to reconstruct it, locals alleged.
The bridge was being constructed under the Tangail Municipal Infrastructure Development Project and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
The construction cost of the eight-metre-wide and 40-metre-long bridge was estimated at Tk 3.60 crore.
After the incident, teams from different departments, including Anti-Corruption Commission, investigated the incident and found negligence and irregularities in the bridge construction works.
Later on November 20 last year, through a notification signed by a deputy secretary of Municipal-1 Section of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperative Ministry, three engineers, including the executive engineer of Tangail municipality, were temporarily suspended on the charges of negligence in duty in the bridge construction works.
A departmental case was also filed against them. They have been asked to inform the local government department in writing within 10 working days of receiving the complaint.
At the same time, the mayor of Tangail municipality has been given a show cause notice for not taking legal action, despite knowing that there are irregularities in the bridge's construction.
Besides, the bridge construction company "Bricks and Building Limited" and "The Construction (JV)" were blacklisted for not following proper design and estimation in the construction of the bridge.
The suspension notice also stated that the contractor used logs (bolli) and bamboo poles without following the designs during centring and shuttering before casting the under-construction bridge.
Even though the engineers sent a letter to the construction agent to follow the designs, they were also present at the site when the bridge was being welded with the defective construction work. This was cited as a gross dereliction of duty in the notice of dismissal, for which they were suspended.
Mayor SM Sirajul Haque has been issued a show-cause notice for the discourteous behaviour of local influentials -- working in favour of the contractor -- with municipal engineers and for failing to take action despite being aware of pervasive irregularities in the bridge's construction. He has been instructed to respond to the notice within ten business days.
Khorshed Hossain, a resident of Baradoma area, said, "The bridge collapsed due to the negligence of the municipal engineers and contractors and we [locals] have to suffer for it."
Another local, Hafizur Rahman, stated, "The previous Bailey bridge was also damaged twice, and we'll have to suffer for several years. Due to the sluggish pace at which this bridge is being rebuilt, the suffering persists.
Asked about the matter, Hafizur Rahman Swapan, panel mayor of Tangail Municipality, said the same contractors are reconstructing the bridge and the design of the new bridge was approved recently.
"The bridge reconstruction works will be completed as soon as possible," he added.
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