Third bridge on Karnaphuli still treads water

A third bridge on this river is the crying need of the time to link the vast southern part to Chittagong as the century-old Kalurghat and Shah Amanat bridges have already been exposed to vulnerability on several occasions in recent time.

The project work, to be funded jointly by Sweden and the Netherlands, was about to start after approval of Prime Minister Khaleda Zia and the Roads and Highways Department had also taken all necessary preparations in this connection.

But the government in an order on March 24 postponed the process and asked the authorities concerned to invite fresh tender reportedly to pave the way for a Kuwaiti grant for the project instead of Dutch-Swedish Grant, sources said.

The order came only six days after a cabinet meeting with PM in the chair on March 17 had approved the Dutch-Swedish funded project.

Prime Minister Khaleda Zia was supposed to inaugurate the construction work of the third bridge on April 19. As per the project plan, construction of the Tk 431 crore bridge will be completed in three years.

Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman in the cabinet meeting favoured the Kuwaiti grant while Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan Japanese grant and former Commerce Minister Amir Khosru Mahmud Chowdhury Dutch-Swedish grants, sources said.

"Besides, the contractor under the Dutch-Swedish fund also promised to build the third bridge in three years and they have the capability," a source at R & H Department said here on condition of anonymity.

"Construction of the third bridge on Karnaphuli was the election pledge of the ruling BNP and they can keep the pledge well before the next general election if the project goes on with Dutch-Swedish proposal," the official added.

"A fresh bidding will not only delay the process but also put the project into uncertainty" he said.

"If re-tender procedures are completed in one year, the construction work will start in 2005 or 2006 and the bridge will possibly be completed by 2008," he said.

Earlier, the government okayed the Dutch-Swedish grant for its attractive offer that includes low and bearable interest rate against the loan.

Communication Minister Nazmul Huda favoured the project with a view to completing the bridge during the BNP government tenure. He also requested Saifur Rahman to give order to the Economic Relation Department (ERD) for necessary arrangements in this regard.

Besides, plying of vehicles on the Kalurghat Bridge will be suspended for six months from July for its repair. The closure will worsen the sufferings of thousands of commuters, who depend largely on this bridge, to and from Chittagong and the regions of south Chittagong.

The R & H Department is building four ghats for heavy vehicles during the period.