RANGPUR, Sept 18, 2018 (BSS) -Commissioning of the Second Teesta Road
Bridge has unfurled a new horizon of economic progress side by side with
improving regional communication networks in the northern region.
The people of Rangpur and Lalmonirhat started dreaming of more development
when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the bridge constructed on the
Teesta at the juncture of these two districts through videoconferencing from
Ganabhaban on Sunday.
Talking to BSS, president of Rangpur Chamber Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu
said commissioning of the bridge has unlocked a new entrance to economic
progress along with improving communication system in the sub-Himalayan
region.
Easier communication using the bridge has created a real opportunity to
expand regional and international trade and promote agriculture, health,
education and other sectors to change socio-economic condition of the common
people.
“The bridge has reduced over 40-km distance between Dhaka and Rangpur with
Burimari Land Port (BLP) in Lalmonirhat further brightening prospect of
increasing international trade among Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal
(BBIN),” he said.
He said the bridge would ease transportation of export-import goods in
less time and costs to encourage joint investments for industrialisation to
further enhance international trade and commerce among the BBIN nations
through the BLP in the region.
Senior vice-president of Rangpur Chamber Mostoba Hossain Ripon said,
earlier, the Teesta was an obstacle for the people of six upazilas of
Lalmonirhat and Rangpur to direct road communication and the situation use to
worsen during the rainy seasons.
“Construction of the bridge on the Teesta has removed the decades-old
barrier by establishing direct road communication making movement of people
easier and fulfilling another long-cherished hope of around 18-lakh people,”
he said.
Importer Enamul Haque said transportation of imported goods and journey of
foreigners from BLP to Dhaka, Rangpur and other parts of the country using
the Burimari-Lalmonirhat-Barobari land route was uncomfortable in the past.
“With commissioning of the Second Teesta Road Bridge, we are using the
Burimari-Kakina-Mohipur-Rangpur-Dhaka land route to transport our imported
products from BLP to respective destinations in a shorter time at less
costs,” Haque said.
Chairman of Rangpur-based research organisation ‘Northbengal Institute of
Development Studies’ Dr Syed Samsuzzaman said commissioning of the bridge
would contribute largely to speed up regional progress and bring socio-
economic benefits to people.
Talking to BSS, students Shihab Uddin, Abdul Malek, Sumitra Rani and Arifa
Begum of different villages in Lalmonirhat expressed happiness over
commissioning of the bridge to establish direct communication with Rangpur,
Dhaka and other parts of the country.
They had to travel extra 40 kilometres distance to go to their educational
institutions in Rangpur city from Kaliganj, Aditmari, Patgram and Hatibandha
upazilas and other areas of Lalmonirhat before commissioning of the bridge,
they said.
Nurul Islam, a resident of Patgram upazila in Lalmonirhat, said relatives
of many patients of their area had to cross an additional 40-km road distance
for the Teesta on way to Rangpur Medical College Hospital (RMCH).
“With commissioning of the Second Teesta Road Bridge, the people of our
area are reaching the RMCH quickly at reduced costs though many critically
sick patients died before reaching the hospital in the past,” Islam added.
Farmers Akmal Hossain and Kashem Ali of Kaliganj upazila said they would
get fair price of their agriculture products onwards as the new bridge has
eased transportation of the same.
Kaliganj Upazila Engineer Parvez Newaz Khan said Local Government and
Engineering Department has constructed the 850-metre bridge at around Taka
123-crore.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated its construction works on April
12, 2012, he said.