British-era bridge crucial for trade neglected

The Jhikargachha Bridge over the Kopotakkho River on Jessore-Benapole Highway – built in the British era – has been in a dilapidated condition for decades, and may cause loss of both lives and properties. The exact year of construction of the bridge could not be known but locals said that the Pakistani occupation forces had blown off a part of the bridge during the 1971 Liberation War. Later the bridge was repaired in 1972, Liakat Hossain of Krishnanagar area in the upazila said. “Since then, no major repair work was carried out, worsening its capacity to carry load,” he added. Parts of the bridge were repaired afterwards, but there was no coordination, he added. Several hundred heavy vehicles, trucks and buses use this 130-metre long and 8-metre wide bridge every day as it connects Jessore with Benapole and Bhomra land ports. Recently, the Roads and Highways Department said that a project had been undertaken to construct a new bridge beside the old one considering the vulnerable situation. Users complain that some parts of the bridge are so risky that it vibrates whenever a heavy vehicle passes the bridge, creating panic among the pedestrians of caving in. Intaj Ali, a bus driver, termed the bridge a death trap since it hardly has room when two buses use the bridge at the same time. Matiar Rahman, chairman of a sub-committee of the India-Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the bridge was of huge importance for the export-import businesses. He demanded that the government complete construction of the new bridge without delay. “If the bridge collapses, it will leave a serious impact on the export and import activities at the two land ports,” he warned. When contacted, RHD Sub-Divisional Engineer Ali Nurain said that a project funded by Jica to expand the road from Benapole to Jessore’s Dartana area, which also covers the bridge, had been initiated. “As per the plan, construction of the new bridge will begin in January,” he claimed.