Poll goes, pledge forgotten
Barisal city dwellers form a human chain in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall yesterday demanding steps to complete Taltali Bridge that would ease the city's communication with Muladi, Hizla and Mehendiganj upazilas.Photo: STAR
People in Barisal city yesterday formed a human chain and handed over memorandum to the prime minister through the district administration, demanding immediate steps for completion of Taltali Bridge.
The bridge over Taltali River has remained incomplete for over twelve years although the matter was in the election pledges of three former lawmakers, speakers said at the programme organised by Taltali Bridge Implementation Committee in front of Ashwini Kumar Hall.
Some 80 per cent bills of the original project were paid but less than 40 per cent work of the bridge and 10 per cent of the related road construction work have been completed, sources said.
Former president Abdur Rahman Biswas, his son Nasim Biswas and former Barisal city mayor Majibor Rahman Sarwar, who were elected lawmakers from the area in the past, had promised construction of the bridge that would help establish a direct road link from Muladi, Hizla and Mehendiganj upazilas to Barisal city.
Former president Abdur Rahman Biswas laid foundation of the project on February 5, 1995 and a construction firm on April 8 in 1996 got Tk 1.83 crore work order to finish its construction within 15 months.
But the firm left the project after drawing Tk 1.33 crore in October 1999 when less than 35 per cent work of the bridge and 90 per cent of related road construction work remained unfinished.
Fresh tender was called on February 2 in 2002 to complete the project at an estimated cost of Tk 1.19 crore but Roads and Highways Department (RHD) stopped the procedure through a letter on February 28, 2002.
The then BCC mayor Majibor Rahman Sarwar inaugurated resumption of the bridge construction on October 16, 2006 by extending the project cost from Tk 1.8 crore to Tk 4.7 crore. But the process again stopped in July this year.
Shahabuddin Khan, executive engineer of Barisal RHD, said the authorities stopped the construction work after faults were found in the design and structure of the bridge.
The present government has taken an initiative to complete the under construction bridges all over the country and Taltali Bridge is also included in the list, he said.
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