Rangamati dream bridge awaits opening

The long-cherished dream of thousands of residents in the remote Naniyarchar upazila of Rangamati will come true as the longest bridge over the Chengi River is all set to be inaugurated soon.

Once the bridge is inaugurated, communication between Langadu-Baghaichhari, Sajek and Khagrachhari will intensify, bolstering socio-economic development, such as education and medical facilities, in the district.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to inaugurate the bridge, which might also help increase tourism in the district.

The construction work of the 500-metre long and 10.2-meter wide bridge started on November 16, 2017 and cost around Tk 220 crore to finish.

The 19th Engineering Construction Battalion (ECB) of the Bangladesh Army has been working on the implementation of the project. Locals also demanded naming the new bridge as Birshreshtha Munshi Abdur Rauf Bridge.

Residents of Rangamati, Naniarchar, Langadu, Khagrachhari, Baghaichhari and Sajek will be benefited from this bridge.

The direct road link of the hilly areas was planned in 1993, however high costs of building the bridge over the Chengi River caused a delay in the project implementation.

On October 31, 2015, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader announced building the bridge over the Chengi River. Finally, after three years, the Chengi Bridge is now visible.

The distance from Rangamati town to Naniyarchar by road is about 40 km, Baghaichhari is 150 km and Langadu is 140 km. There is no bus service in Baghaichhari and Langadu upazilas apart from Rangamati and Naniyarchar.

It takes about six hours from Baghaichhari to reach the district headquarters via Khagrachhari and five hours from Langadu. People of these areas mostly rely on six to seven hours waterways for direct communication.

The distance from Naniarchar to Baghaichhari is 30 km and Langadu is around 18 km.

Now, it will be possible to reach Baghaichhari and Langadu directly from the district headquarters through the Chengi Bridge in just 1.5 hours.

However, the 18 km road from Naniarchar to Langadu has not been completed yet.

Gias Uddin, general secretary of Baghaichhari upazila Awami League, said, “Hilly areas people have been dreaming of this bridge for more than half a century since the Kaptai Lake was created. We are missing out on the benefits from the bridge due to the slow pace of the ongoing work on the Baghaichhari-Langadu road.”

Ripon Das, general secretary of Naniarchar Upazila Sports Association, said, “I demand the bridge to be renamed after liberation war hero Bir Shrestha Munshi Abdar Rauf, who died for our country and was buried in Naniachar”.

Jewel, a local trader in Naniarchar, said, “It usually takes 30 minutes to one hour to cross the river on an engine boat. Now it will take just minute to cross the river using the bridge.”

Belayet Hossain Bhuiyan, former president of Rangamati Chamber of Commerce, said, “The cost of transporting and marketing agricultural products will shorten and valuable time will be saved. There will also be huge improvements in travel, tourism and trade.”

Shahe Arefin, executive engineer of the Rangamati Roads and Highways Department, told The Business Post “The 500-metre-long Chengi Bridge project is now completed. The prime minister will officially inaugurate the bridge very soon.”