This is only possible in Bangladesh: the sandbags are the bridge poles!

The Dhaka Times Desk Many things are possible in Bangladesh. A bridge pole is made of sandbags! The road and township department is trying to protect a dangerous bridge with sandbags at Chakria on the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway!

No doubt one would be surprised to read such news in the media. Because during the work of the bridge poles, sandbags were pushed in the chakaria of the Cox's Bazar-Chittagong highway. The local road and township department is trying to protect a dangerous bridge with sandbags. That is why hundreds of sandbags have been placed under the bridge. Pole work is being done with this sandbag.

For the past few days, the matter has gone viral through various media and social media, but the concerned authorities are playing a silent role. The Department of Roads and Public Ways (SOAZ) says that traffic should continue with sandbags until the budget for reconstruction work is available.

Not today, on February 11, 2013, 18 passengers were killed when the railing of the Matamuhuri Bridge broke. After that, there were demands to declare the bridge dangerous from different quarters. Four long years have passed since then! But the concerned authorities have kept the vehicular movement normal without declaring the bridge as dangerous. Recently, the middle of the bridge has been lowered again causing serious disruption to traffic. A terrible accident can happen at any time, many people can die.

According to news media, the Matamuhuri Bridge was built in Chakaria in 1960, more than half a century ago. Its lifespan is estimated to be one hundred years, but before that, the bridge cracked and collapsed and collapsed in various places. Large cracks have also occurred in some places. Due to the large hole right in the middle of the bridge, the authorities have opened the traffic through the bridge. As soon as a passenger and cargo vehicle gets on the bridge, the bridge shakes, then panic starts among the passengers. Millions of people are traveling every day risking their lives in this way as there is no alternative system. Along with these problems, recently the pillars of the bridge also sagged and cracked. That is why the sandbags have to be kept.

Sources related to Souz told the media that about 4 years ago, a part of the casting in the middle of the Chakriar Matamuhuri bridge on the Chittagong-Cox's Bazar highway was slightly lowered. At that time, the heavy rains have brought down a large part little by little. After that, traffic is normalized with iron plates on the lower wound. However, due to the fact that the platform is relatively high, on the morning of February 11, 2013, a bus carrying tourists lost control and broke the side railing and fell down into the river. At least 18 people lost their lives in this terrible accident. After that, the Roads and Highways Department repaired the broken railings and re-repairing the downed parts to ensure smooth movement of vehicles. In this way, vehicles have been moving through this bridge for a long time in danger.

Abu Ehsan Mohammad Azizul Mostafa, deputy assistant engineer of Chakaria sub-divisional engineer's office, told the media, "sand bags have been placed under the bridge from the ground to the bottom of the girder to avoid the risk of traffic." The work of laying bricks around the sandbags is also underway, so that the sandbags cannot move. Also, warning signboards have been given on both sides of the bridge so that goods vehicles weighing more than ten tons cannot move over the bridge.

Chakaria upazila executive officer Mohammad Sahedul Islam Matamuhuri bridge is dangerous and said, 'Traffic is moving in pairs. The matter was communicated to me verbally by Souz. In this regard, instructions have been given to the OC of the Traffic Police so that vehicles carrying goods weighing more than 10 tonnes do not ply through the Matamuhuri Bridge. This issue has been raised in the district development coordination committee meeting.