Mawlana Bhashani Bridge over Teesta River opens for traffic

The Mawlana Bhashani Bridge, the third crossing over the Teesta River, was officially opened to traffic today. Local Government and Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain inaugurated the 1,490-metre bridge at Haripur in Sundarganj upazila this afternoon.

The new bridge provides a direct road link between Chilmari in Kurigram and Sundarganj in Gaibandha, which is expected to create fresh opportunities for trade, mobility, and socio-economic development across the region.

Local resident and teacher Prabhat Chandra Pal expressed pride at the naming of the bridge after Mawlana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhashani, saying it will not only strengthen connectivity but also become “a bridge of economy, education, and culture.”

According to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), construction started in September 2020 with joint funding from the Saudi Fund for Development and the OPEC Fund for International Development, while the China State Construction Engineering Corporation carried out the work. The bridge, originally scheduled for completion by June 2023, faced multiple delays before its formal opening today.

The core bridge structure cost Tk 367 crore, while another Tk 363.85 crore went into approach roads, land acquisition, river training, and culverts — making it the largest road bridge across the Teesta River.

The first Teesta bridge was completed in Lalmonirhat’s Gokunda area in 2012 at a cost of Tk 87 crore, while the second bridge at Mohipur in Rangpur’s Gangachara was opened in 2018 at a cost of Tk 131 crore.

Gaibandha LGED executive engineer Uzzal Chowdhury said the naming of the bridge after Mawlana Bhashani reflects both popular demand and respect for a national leader, adding that it represents the aspirations and development hopes of northern Bangladesh.