Baripara bridge over Narail Narail bridge cost 135 crores of 65 crore rupees due to design complexity. The construction work of Baripara bridge over Navaganga river at Kalia in Narail was supposed to be completed in a year and a half, but the period was extended in phases and it was not completed even in a year. Complexity in the design of the bridge has increased the construction cost of the 65 crore bridge to about 135 crore rupees. The pedestrians and local residents are suffering from the slow pace of construction of the bridge. However, the road department says that the work has started after overcoming the design complications, and the rest of the bridge construction work will be completed by June next year. Ujjwal Roy, Narail district representative said, it is known that the construction of the bridge is going on for years, but no one knows when it will be finished. The construction work of Kalia Baripara Bridge on Narail Sadar along with Kalia Upazila, Bagerhat, Khulna Gopalganj started under the supervision of road department in 2018. Although the period was extended 3 times in 6 and a half years, the construction work of the bridge is not finished here. Finally, June 2025 has been extended to 2023. After the installation of 18 piers and 11 spans along with the connecting road on the two banks of the river is completed, the work of installing 3 spans in the middle part is left here. The design complexity has increased the construction cost almost twice, which angered the local residents.

A student named Shubo Deep said, due to the inconvenience of crossing the river, we students cannot go to school and college on time. A local named Babu Mia said, the construction work of the bridge has started but I don’t see the name of its completion. After starting the work, I thought that our suffering would decrease, but now I see that the suffering is increasing. As the boat is passing under the bridge, there is death as well as loss of property. You have to stand for hours to cross.

An entrepreneur named Rabeya said, our house is on the bank of the river. Every now and then I see that the traders of goods crossing are suffering and on the other hand their transportation costs are also increasing. Traffic has to be crossed at risk. It is a waste of government money. When the construction of the bridge was planned, the authorities could do it only if the design was properly scrutinized. Now the construction of the bridge is costing twice as much, it has to be done from the people’s money.

According to the information of the road department, the contract price for the construction of the 651.83 meter long and 10.25 meter wide PC girder bridge is 65 crore rupees, but the construction cost has been reduced to 135 crore rupees due to the complexity of the bridge design. The contracting company Messrs. Jamil Iqbal and Moinuddin Vasi Construction Company were contracted for the construction of the bridge for Tk 65 crore in 2018. After the pillar No. 9 was lost twice under the river due to the impact of the bulkhead, the installation of 4 piers and 3 spans of the main part was left incomplete and the road section was completed at Tk 61 crore. After extending the term in stages, the contract of the first term was completed with the contractor. Later, in the second term, Concrete and Steel Technologist Limited contracted the construction of the remaining part of the bridge. According to the contractor, two more spans including 86.73 meter steel arch span imported from abroad and piling of additional piers have started.

Narail district road department executive engineer Md. Nazrul Islam blamed the BIWTA authorities for the complex design of the bridge and told Barta Bazar that the BIWTA authority divides the river category and permits the construction of a bridge on any river.

The BIWTA authority gives permission to construct a bridge over any river by dividing the river category. Before designing the road department bridge, the BIWTA authority sent the report to us for Navganga river as C grade river. In coordination with them, after all kinds of tests and approval of the design, the contracting company starts the work by conducting tests themselves before starting the work.

He also said, the year after the start of the work, the 9th pier was damaged twice due to the push of the bulkhead. After this incident BIWTA authorities changed the grade of Navganga river and sent the report as B grade river. Later, according to their report, the design of the bridge needed to be changed. In 2023, the Ecnec meeting approved the installation of steel span by changing the design. The contract period with the first contracting firm is over and the second contract has already started with another contracting firm. The official assured that the work of the bridge would be completed within the specified period of June 2025.