95 rail bridges risky

Around 95 bridges on the Sylhet-Kulaura-Akhaura rail route have become vulnerable, posing a danger to the lives of people travelling over those every day.

Under the Sylhet division of the east zone of Bangladesh Railway (BR), the rail bridges, constructed on hill fountains and rivers 60 to 70 years ago, in some places have become flimsy due to a lack of maintenance and repair, BR sources said.

According to the engineering department of the BR, there are 250 big and small bridges on the 177 kilometre long rail route.

None of the bridges have been reconstructed since their construction.

A good number of the bridges in many parts have caved in under the pressure of hill water and due to sand extraction from rivers, making those even more risky for movement.

BR sources said recently train communication of Sylhet with other parts of the country remained halted for hours due to faults in rail bridge no 157 in the Bharaura tea estate area of Sreemangal upazila.

Several trains, including the Sylhet-bound “Paharika Express” from Chittagong, lay stranded at the Sreemangal station.

Besides, the Dhaka-bound “Parabat Express” from Sylhet remained stuck at the Bhanugach station while the Sylhet-bound “Joyontika Express” from Dhaka at the Shayestaganj rail station.

However, communication was restored after six hours of its suspension but several cracks developed on the bridge.

Later, the authorities set the speed limit of trains at five kilometres per hour while crossing the bridge.

Majibor Rahman, assistant executive engineer of Bangladesh Railway in Sylhet division, said nearly 100 small and big rail bridges have become vulnerable in the Sylhet-Akhaura section.

Repair work of the bridges could not be done due to an inadequate fund allocation from the ministry, he added.