Nesarabad Bridge Work Stalls After Piling Despite 40% Payment on Tk 22 Crore Project

Construction of the Napitkhali bridge, being built at a cost of Tk 22 crore in Pirojpur’s Nesarabad, has slowed to a crawl. Although construction began about a year ago, work has been suspended for the past six months. The bridge is supposed to be completed within 17 months, but there is serious uncertainty over whether the work will be finished on schedule. A representative of the contracting firm claims the entire bridge may take about two more years to complete. Yet the executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department claims 40 percent of the work has already been done and that bills have been paid for that work.

The bridge is being built at Napitkhali on the Nesarabad-Swarupkathi to Pirojpur road. Local people are angry and frustrated at the slow pace of construction of the 79.42-metre bridge. They ask how the bridge can be completed on time if work on a 17-month project has been suspended for six months.

It is learned that earlier this year, Ahmed Sohel Manzur, member of parliament for Pirojpur-2 and Minister of State for Housing and Public Works, laid the foundation stone for the bridge. On that occasion, he instructed contractor Md. Masud Khan to finish the work within the stipulated time. He later visited the site again to see the progress and urged speedy completion. But locals allege that, although a long time has passed, no significant construction work other than the installation of piles is visible.

Gautam Saha, who identified himself as a representative of Orient Trading and Builders, which is in charge of supervising the construction, said work was suspended for about five months because of excessive water currents. Work will resume after the coming Kali Puja, he said, adding that workers have been spoken to. Of the 68 piles needed for the bridge, 48 have been installed, he said. The remaining piles will be installed in phases. However, he said it may take about two more years for the entire bridge to be completed.

Md. Masud Khan, director of the contracting firm Orient Trading and Builders, said land acquisition for the bridge approach is not included in the project. As a result, it took time to arrange land by reaching understandings with local landowners. Work also could not be carried out because of the water currents in the canal. In all, work was suspended for five to six months, he said. However, 30 percent of the work has been completed.

He said he hopes to finish the work within the next year. But he said the project’s term will need to be extended in order to complete the work after the stipulated time. Noting that the construction cost of the bridge is Tk 22 crore, the contractor said it also includes river training, approaches and some other work. However, he could not say in detail how much work is included under which heads.

Meanwhile, when asked about the work order date and the duration of the work, Md. Rasel, executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Pirojpur, said the work’s term will end in July next year. Asked what percentage of the work has been completed so far, he claimed 40 percent has been implemented. According to him, bills have been paid for the work done so far.

However, the executive engineer expressed irritation when asked whether the officials concerned inspect the site to check the work’s suspension for six months and the quality of construction. He said work is suspended because of water. Would he stay stuck on the work of just one bridge, he asked. He advised that anyone wanting to know more should come and contact him at his office.

Meanwhile, the slow pace of construction of the Tk 22 crore bridge, the long suspension of work, and the engineer’s claim of 40 percent progress have raised various questions among the public. Locals want a transparent explanation of how much visible progress has been made apart from piling, how much has been paid against which work, and whether the bridge can be completed within the project’s stipulated term. They say that, rather than mere assurances of more time, construction of the bridge must start quickly and be completed while maintaining the specified quality.