Brahmanbaria is one of the leading towns in the country in terms of art, culture, education and literature. It is the birthplace of many noted wise men, including the composer Ustad Alauddin Khan, Ustad Ayat Ali Khan, Barrister A Rasul, Nawab Sir Syed Shamsul Huda, Adwaita Mallabarman, poet Abdul Qadir, and Liberation War martyr Dhirendranath Dutta.
Established as a Mahakuma (subdivision) under Tripura district of eastern India in 1860, Brahmanbaria came under Comilla district in erstwhile East Pakistan after the partition of India in 1947. It became a separate district on February 15, 1984.
Adjoining Habiganj, Comilla, Narsingdi and Tripura, Brahmanbaria district comprises five municipalities, nine upazilas, 100 unions and 1,323 villages.
The district contributes greatly to the national economy. Three gas fields – Titas, Salda and Meghna – supply one-third of the country's production. Moreover, Ashuganj thermal power station is the second largest electricity generating unit, while Ashuganj Fertilizer Factory is one of the largest urea fertilizer factories in the country.
Since 2009, during the three consecutive terms in office of the current government, several mega projects have been implemented in Brahmanbaria.
There have been phenomenal achievements in all sectors, including communication and energy. Modernization of Akhaura railway station, Akhaura-Agartala dual gauge railway line and construction of roads and bridges have revolutionized the way of life of people.
Sheikh Hasina Highway: A new horizon in Haor
The only hope of Bijoynagar Upazila residents to travel to Brahmanbaria district headquarters was by boat. They had to go around Sarail or Akhaura upazila and it took several hours. During the dry season, there was no alternative but to undertake the journey on foot. Sufferings were their constant companion.
But that is no longer the case. Because a new horizon has arisen in Haor's chest—the Sheikh Hasina Highway. After its implementation, there has been a revolutionary change in the life of the Haor people through economic prosperity. Most of the people here are agriculturists and involved in seasonal fruit cultivation.
On the other hand, the road has developed an aesthetic atmosphere as it is built between canals, rivers and hoars. Every day, thousands of travellers flock to enjoy its breathtaking beauty. Due to this 9.25km road from Brahmanbaria town to Simna in Bijaynagar, the distance has been reduced by about 35km.
Its construction started in September 2016 at a cost of Tk136 crore and it was opened for traffic on December 21, 2022. The lawmaker of Brahmanbaria-3 (Sadar-Bijayanagar) constituency, RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, played a leading role in the construction of this new road.
According to sources at the Local Government Engineering Department, two bridges of 315 metres and 308 metres on the Titas River and 308 metres on the Loiska Canal near the town have been constructed around the highway. Another 1,200 metres of connecting roads have also been constructed. Strong blocks have been given on both sides to strengthen the foundation of the road.
People of hundreds of villages, including Pattan, Singarbil, Champaknagar, Bishnupur and Paharpur unions of Bijoynagar, have benefited the most due to its implementation. In these areas, various seasonal fruits including mango, litchi, malta and jackfruit are produced at a large rate. However, as the communication system was not developed, it was difficult to find wholesalers from far away places. However, the locals believe that their good days have returned.
Habibur Rahman, a litchi gardener of Bishnupur area, said that there is no way but to go to the district headquarters to get a better price for selling their fruits.
“For lack of a road, we had to suffer indescribably. During the rainy season, people could go to the Sadar upazila via Sarail or Akhaura; but in the dry season, it was necessary to walk for at least two hours. Fruits and other vegetables could not be transported. With the opening of the highway, communication with not only Bijayanagar but the entire district has become easier,” he said.
Local MP and valiant Freedom Fighter Muktadir Chowdhury said the life of the people of Bijaynagar was miserable due to the lack of a road. No post-independence government had paid attention to their plight. “The current government of development-friendly Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has fulfilled the demands of millions of people,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
He is hopeful that this will have a positive impact on the Awami League in the next election.
Country's first Y-shaped bridge
Sheikh Hasina Titas Bridge has brought about a tremendous change in the communication system by connecting Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria with Comilla’s Ramkrishnapur and Ramchandrapur. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina officially inaugurated the country’s first Y-shaped bridge at the mouth of the Titas River on July 16, 2018.
WM CG-Navana (JV), a joint venture between Bangladesh and China, has built the bridge at a cost of Tk105 crore.
The use of modern technology in construction has made the bridge beautiful. With improved connectivity, it has also become a centre of tourist attraction. People from far and wide come every day to enjoy the breathtaking scenery of the bank of Titas, the bridge’s zebra crossings, and beautiful railings.
The length of the bridge is 771.20 metres and the width is 8.10 metres. In addition to the modern traffic control system, a square has been placed in the middle for easy U-turn of vehicles.
Muradnagar Upazila Parishad Chairman Dr Ahsanul Alam Kishore said that there has been a revolutionary change in the communication system of people in the north-western part of Comilla with Brahmanbaria due to the Sheikh Hasina Bridge in the Titas estuary. “It is also playing a unique role in the economic field especially due to easy transportation of various raw materials,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
MP of Brahmanbaria-6 constituency and former state minister Captain (Retd) AB Tajul Islam told Dhaka Tribune that, due to the dynamic leadership of Sheikh Hasina, not only Brahmanbaria, but the entire Bangladesh has entered the golden age of development.
Akhaura-Agartala railway line
Bangladesh-India trade relations will scale new heights due to the completion of the dual gauge railway line between Akhaura in Brahmanbaria and India's Agartala as the distance will be reduced by about 1,100km.
Through this line, the two countries will first carry goods and then passengers. Construction work on the railway line and an immigration and customs building has already been completed. It will be officially inaugurated soon by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi.
On September 14, under the leadership of Abu Zafar Mia, chief engineer of Bangladesh Railway (East) and director of the Akhaura-Agartala Railway Line Construction Project, an experimental or trial train was run for the first time from Gangasagar (Akhaura) to Indian border area’s Shivnagar (zero line). At that time, he said that, due to this railway line, Bangladesh has been directly connected with North-East India.
“It will further expand the commercial activities of Bangladeshi businessmen in the states. The businessmen of both countries will benefit. Import-export will increase. Bangladesh-India commercial relations will advance to a new height,” he added.
The construction work on 12.24km of rail tracks from Akhaura in Brahmanbaria to Nishchintpur in Agartala, and 16 bridges and culverts began in July 2018. It was constructed at Tk241 crore. Of the project, 6.78km falls on the Bangladesh part.
The construction work was delayed due to various reasons, including the Covid-19 pandemic. After ups and downs, the railway was fully ready for operation in June 2023.
According to Akhaura Railway Junction authorities, the railway line has already been tested several times by track cars after the installation of the railway line in the Bangladesh part.
Modernization of Akhaura Junction
The Akhaura railway junction in Brahmanbaria has been decorated in a new way—modernization of the station buildings, construction of multiple platforms, laying of railway tracks, modern signal system, construction of wash feed, yard, cabin and electrical warehouse.
About 22 intercity and all mail and local trains stop here. This junction provides easy access to the international airport of Tripura, which is only 5km away. Medical, trade and commercial activities have gained momentum due to this junction.
According to official sources, there are 17 railway tracks at this station. A beautiful foot-over bridge with a length of about 190 feet and a height of 30 feet has been constructed for passenger crossing. Passengers and pedestrians are impressed by the new look of the station.
Akhaura Railway Station Super Nurunnabi Bhuiyan said: “In the past few years, the junction has also seen significant development in the infrastructure sector along with the increase in passenger services.”
Gigantic Ashuganj Power Plant
Brahmanbaria's Ashuganj Power Plant, built on 285 acres of land, has enriched the power sector by adding 1,560 megawatts of electricity, which is around 8% of the country’s total production. The installed capacity of these gas-powered units is 1,690MW.
Around Tk11,598 crore has been spent on the plant in the last decade. It has given employment to at least 500 people.
The construction of this mega project has been financed by Belgium, Spain, Germany, South Korea and the World Bank. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Islamic Development Bank (IDB) gave large loans. On the other hand, the government of Bangladesh has allocated Tk776 crore. Technical assistance was provided by China, Germany, Spain and South Korea.
The first 50MW unit of the plant was commissioned on April 3, 2011. It cost Tk3,53 crore. Later, a 225MW unit was launched in October 2015, a 450MW in July 2016, another 450MW in June 2017, and a 400MW unit in June 2021.
Several other power generation units in the district are making outstanding contributions.
Apart from these development projects, significant progress has been witnessed in various fields, including Brahmanbaria Government College, Food Conservatory and Niaz Mohammad Stadium in the last one and a half decade.
