Construction of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge over Jamuna in Sirajganj is progressing fast. Piling work is underway to install the pillars of the bridge. Piling work of several pillars has already been completed.
The construction of the bridge is going on day and night. With the construction of the bridge, the pressure on the Bangabandhu Bridge will be reduced and a new horizon will be started in the railway communication sector with Dhaka and North Bengal. At the same time, the country's economy will go one step further.
The country's first mega project on the river Jamuna Bangabandhu Jamuna Bridge was built in the 90s. The second mega project Bangabandhu Rail Bridge over the Jamuna is being constructed 300 meters upstream of this bridge with a length of 4.8 km. Like Bangabandhu Bridge, the length of Bangabandhu Railway Bridge is 4.8 kilometers. The total number of pillars of this railway bridge including dual gauge double track will be 50. The piling work of eight pillars 42 to 49 has already been completed.
The bridge is being constructed with Japanese funding. Simultaneous construction work has been started from both ends of the bridge at Sirajganj and Tangail.
If this bridge is constructed, freight trains and containers coming to the country from abroad will be able to move directly. This will reduce the fuel consumption of the railway department. The cost of import and export will also be reduced. Pressure on Bangabandhu Bridge and highways will also be reduced. The risk of Bangabandhu Bridge will also be reduced. At present, land vehicles and trains are running parallel to the Bangabandhu Bridge.
As it is risky, the train runs slowly over Bangabandhu Bridge. At present the approved speed of the train on that bridge is 20 kilometers per hour. At the same time, transportation of goods from North Bengal to Dhaka will be easier, and the cost of transporting goods will be reduced, which will bring about a positive change in the economic situation and social life of the region. Experts believe that it will also make a significant contribution to the overall economy of the country.
According to the railway department, this dual gauge double-track bridge will be the largest railway bridge in the country. This will facilitate and improve the rail connectivity of the north and west of the country with the capital. The bridge will also help reduce train schedule disruptions, the railway department said.
Sirajganj Economic Zone and BSIC Industrial Park are being developed on the west side of Bangabandhu Bridge and Bangabandhu Rail Bridge. Seven lakh people of Uttar Janap will be employed here. In the meantime, local and foreign industrialists are showing interest in setting up industrial factories in the region. With the construction of Bangabandhu Railway Bridge, it will be easier to transport goods from this industrial area to any country in the world using railways, roads and land routes. At the same time, traders and locals think that it will be easier to transport the goods produced in the northern districts. They see the immense potential to change the fate of the people of this town.
Al Fattah Md. Masudur Rahman, project director of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Railway Bridge, said that at present 36 trains run on Bangabandhu Bridge. With the construction of the new railway bridge, there will be an opportunity for interconnection of trains with different countries as well as for the operation of 6 trains with freight speed on the double line. In the meantime, about 41 percent of the work of this railway bridge has been completed. On November 29, 2020, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina laid the foundation stone for the construction of the bridge at a cost of Tk 16,060 crore. The construction of the bridge is expected to be completed by 2024.
Nab Kumar Karmakar, convener of Sirajganj Rail Bachao Andolan, said the city of Sirajganj was once known as the city of railways. But after the construction of Bangabandhu Bridge, rail communication started from outside the city. This cut off the railway communication with the city. As a result of our many movements a train was started from the city to the capital. With the launch of this railway bridge, rail connectivity with Sirajganj, Bogra, Rangpur, Dinajpur and other parts of the country will be resumed.