Why 'no' to the hanging bridge on the river Surma?

Today more than five lac Sylhetis are settled in developed western countries, amongst them more than three lac in the UK, contributing a significant foreign remittance to our national economy. Each year thousands of expatriate Sylhetis visit their paternal land, and hundreds of foreigners visit Sylhet because of its natural beauty. Sylhet is one of the most important centre of education and culture of this country boasting two universities, medical colleges and university colleges. Sylhet city is extended over an area of 30 sq. km which is divided in two parts by the famous river Surma flowing from east to west. Main part of the city is situated on the northern bank of the river. Main communication points including railways and roads linking other parts of Bangladesh are located on the southern bank of the Surma.

Considering the importance of Sylhet town the then Government of India through provincial Government of Assam constructed a landmark bridge in 1936 to connect both sides of Sylhet town over the river Surma at a cost of Rupees 56 lac which was a significant amount at that time. Once this bridge was one of the most important and famous road bridges of undivided India. The bridge was opened for public and vehicular traffic in 1937 and was named 'Keane bridge' after the then Governor of Assam, Michael Keane. It is a steel truss bridge of 395 meter length and 5.5 meter width having 19 spans, middle span of which is abut 80 meters long. It also became a big tourist spot.

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During our war of liberation in 1971, the bridge was badly damaged. Although immediately it was repaired and opened to traffic, but the structure had become very weak. Ultimately considering security of the traffic, the authorities restricted movement of heavy transports over the bridge after the 2nd bridge over the Surma -- 'Hazrat Shah Jalal Bridge' -- was constructed in 1986 by individual initiative of Rear Admiral Mahbub Ali Khan.

Hazrat Shah Jalal Bridge being located off city centre, thousands of people on feet and on rickshaws enter either part of the city everyday through the existing Keane Bridge. As the population and number of transports started growing dramatically Roads & Highways Department took initiative to build a new bridge at the location of the Keane Bridge replacing the old one. There were commitments from political leadership to inhabitants of Sylhet and its expatriate population too, of a wider and modern bridge. Late Humayun Rashid Chowdhury, the hon'ble ex-speaker of our Parliament took a positive step to build an 'arc type' steel bridge very similar to one in Sydney Harbour, Australia.

During electioneering campaign of last general election, our present hon'ble Finance Minister who contested from both Sylhet and Moulvibazar constituencies, pledged to the people of Sylhet to construct the first hanging bridge of our country in place of 'Kean Bridge' over the river Surma. After formation of government by BNP, minister of finance, Mr. M. Saifur Rahman directed the Roads & Highways Department (RHD) to take practical step in this direction. Accordingly, RHD floated tenders twice. A bid submitted by a joint-venture of a Bangladeshi private company and an Indonesian government owned construction company was selected by RHD, design of which was done by world famous MESTRA Engineering of Finland. By legitimately selecting Sylhet as the site for first such bridge in Bangladesh considering the city's importance as a spiritual capital and home to hundreds of thousands of forex earning expatriates living in developed western countries, RHD in general and Mr. M. Saifur Rahman in particular deserved warmest gratitude and thanks from the people.

But it is a matter of great regret and agony to know that the plan for constructing the hanging bridge over the river Surma in Sylhet has been dropped on a silly ground that cost for such bridge is too high, as reported in a local daily of Sylhet. True, cost may be high compared to some non-standard RCC bridges but unit cost per squire meter is much cheaper than Jamuna, Bhairab, Paksey and other bridges if this is constructed at Tk.150 crore as the middle span of the bridge is 160 meters (so far longest in Bangladesh).

My question, is why to gain more votes a commitment should be given which cannot be materialized? It is very unethical. It is very interesting that our hon'ble Minister for Communication even showed the design of the bridge in a public meeting in Sylhet and hon'ble Finance Minister informed Sylheti residents of UK during his last visit to London about immediate start of the construction of the first hanging bridge in Sylhet. This was covered by Bengali weeklies of the UK.

People of Bangladesh in general, and those of greater Sylhet in particular pin their last hope on the Hon'ble Prime Minister and expect that she will salvage the project which to be gifted to the people of Sylhet who are making significant contribution to our national economy.