3 major bridges to see early construction

The bridges -- Teesta, second Sitalakkhya and third Buriganga Bridge -- would be constructed at a cost of Tk 265 crore, with financial help from the Kuwait government.

The Bangladesh government will provide Tk 93 crore and the rest would come from Kuwait Development Fund, sources said.

A high-powered meeting of the ministry yesterday observed that the government should start the construction immediately as the prime minister had promised those on several occasions.

Communications Minister Nazmul Huda chaired the meeting also attended by Deputy Minister for Food and Disaster Management Asadul Habib Dulu, Communications Secretary Shafiqul Islam, Salahuddin Ahmed MP and high officials of the Roads and Highways Department.

Teesta Bridge will be set up on the Teesta on Rangpur-Kurigram Highway, Sitalakkhya second in Demra and Buriganga third in Basila.

Construction of the Teesta Bridge alone would require Tk 103 crore, meeting sources said.

Lawmakers from these localities have long been insisting the government on launching the construction before the next parliamentary election, the sources added.

The meeting was told that the ministry has already completed preliminary work and would start the construction very soon.

The government has also appointed project directors for implementation of the bridges. The sources said it would take at least two years to construct each bridge if everything goes smoothly.