The approval of an 81-meter-long bridge over the Gazikhali River has brought joy and relief to residents of at 20 least villages in Saturia upazila of Manikganj district and Dhamrai upazila of Dhaka district.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has published an e-Tender notice for the construction of the bridge, which is estimated to cost around Tk8 crore.
For decades, the lack of a bridge has caused significant suffering for over 1,00,000 villagers in both Manikganj and Dhaka districts, particularly affecting local farmers who faced difficulties in transporting their agricultural products.
Students also had to navigate a temporary narrow bridge made of bamboo, which led to accidents. However, the construction of this bridge will put an end to these long-standing struggles.
The construction of the bridge will not only alleviate the suffering of the local communities but also provide quick connectivity between the twenty remote villages of Saturia and Dhamrai.
In honour of Sheikh Russel, who was assassinated along with Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and other family members on August 15, 1971, local residents proposed naming the bridge after him.
On Monday morning, members of the Bachat Bridge Implementation Struggle Committee, which had advocated for the construction of the bridge, distributed sweetmeats to every household in Basat village.
The celebrations continued into the night with cultural events and colourful fireworks organized by the local people.
The event, titled "Thank you, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina", aimed to express gratitude to the PM for her role in granting the bridge.
The event was presided over by Habibullah Mizan, president of the Basat Bridge Implementation Struggle Committee, with Aminul Islam, the general secretary, leading the welcome committee.
