ZCZC
BSS-09
PM-OPEN-BRIDGE
PM opens two bridges on Teesta, Titas rivers
DHAKA, Sept 16, 2018 (BSS) – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today opened for
traffic two bridges on the Teesta and Titas rivers in Rangpur and
Brahmanbaria saying her government was striving to build better communication
networks nationwide to accelerate economic activities and facilitate peoples’
movement.
“A better communication system will better peoples’ economic condition,”
she said opening the two bridges from her Gonobhaban residence through a
video conference, joined by officials and cross sections of people on the
other ends at Gangachanra of Rangpur and Bancharampur of Brahmanbaria.
The premier added: “Keeping this in mind the government has chalked out its
plan to develop the country’s road infrastructure.”
Sheikh Hasina said contemporary history suggests that the people get the
fruits of development “when Awami League comes to power” as she highlighted
the country’s development during the tenure of her government.
Local Government Minister Engineer Khandakar Mosharraf Hossain and senior
secretary of the ministry Jafar Ahmed Khan also spoke at the function,
conducted by premier’s principal secretary Nozibur Rahman.
State Minister for LGRD Moshiur Rahman Ranga, state minister for social
welfare Nuruzzaman Ahmed were present, among others, at Rangpur end while
former minister ABM Tajul Islam, local parliament members were present on the
Bancharampur end of the video conference.
The 850-meter long bridge on the Teesta linked Gangachara Upazila with
Lalmonithat and cost Taka 123 crore while the 771 meter bridge in
Brahmanbaria connected Bancharampur with Homna and Muradnagar upazilas and
was built at a cost of Taka 99.86 crore.
The new bridge on the Teesta reduced Gangachar’s distance with Dhaka via
Lalmonirhar by 40 kilometer.
The Y type bridge on the Titas connected Bancharampur with Homa and
Muradnagar.
Both the bridges were named after Sheikh Hasina in recognition to her
constant stride for construction of the bridges and development of the area.
Sheikh Hasina said Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman
reconstructed about 300 bridges destroyed by Pakistani army during the
Liberation War and rebuild 250 dilapidated roads. “He (Bangabandhu) had taken
the war ravaged country to an (advanced) stage in only three and a half
years,” she said.
The premier said Bangladesh’s people in reality virtually saw no progress
in their life in the subsequent years after Bangabandhu’s assassination when
only few people who grab state power illegally became wealthy along with some
beneficiaries. “Sufferings of the people in the grassroots worsened day by
day (during that period),” she said.
The prime minister said her government was working for th country’s
development under a long term plan chalked out over the years after her
return to the country in 1981 from exile.
Sheikh Hasina expressed the hope that the two bridges would play important
role in the socioeconomic development of the areas.
The prime minister said Rangopur, particularly Gangachara, was the most
‘Monga’ affected area in the northern region where famine was a common
phenomenon every year.
After assuming office in 1996, she said, the Awami League government took
immediate steps to stamp out famine from the area and the people there
“forgot what ‘monga’ was” during that tenure of her government.
“But, unfortunately the phenomenon came back in 2001 when BNP-Jamaat
assumed office . . . again ‘monga’ disappeared from the northern region for
last ten years (as her government is in office),” the premier said.
The prime minister said people of the area got rid of Monga due to
generation of economic activities, improvement of the communication, supply
of electricity and diversification of agricultural production.
BSS/AKH/AR/1515 HRS