Sylhet Bureau :
The Sylhet City Corporation (SCC) is constructing two more footbridges in the city although a Tk1.63 crore bridge has been lying abandoned for six years, thanks to lack of planning and foresight.
Dignitaries and civil society members have alleged that these unnecessary and unplanned projects have been taken up to gobble up money. These will not serve any purpose of the city dwellers. It will only be a waste of public money.
In 2015, the corporation constructed a footbridge at Court Point in Bandar Bazar area in the city. Since then, the bridge has been lying abandoned. This unnecessary structure has now become a nuisance for widening the road and people in the vicinity. The bridge has also become a problem for the corporation as they could not sell it for not getting a fair price even after multiple sales initiatives.
Of the two footbridges, the construction work of the footbridge at Titlagarh near MC College has been completed. The place for another bridge has not been finalised yet. The corporation is constructing those bridges at a cost of Tk3.58 crore, according to the corporation sources.
However, the footbridge can be constructed at Humayun Rashid square or near the main gate of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology.
Visiting the Titlagarh area recently, the footbridge was found also empty like that at Court Point. Pedestrians were seen crossing the road on foot under the overbridge.
Abdul Karim Kim, coordinator of the civil society movement in Sylhet, said not the students, the goons will benefit from the footbridge at Court Point.
He further said city dwellers will not benefit from the bridge, rather it is a waste of public money. The footbridge poses risks as the Court Point area hosts many public programmes. Terrorists can launch attacks from the abandoned bridge.
City corporation officials say the use of the footbridge will increase when MC College and Government College in Titlagarh area will open. Students will cross the road using the bridge. It has been constructed keeping in mind the safety of the students.
The corporation is constructing two more footbridges to meet the needs of commuters, SCC chief engineer Noor Azizur Rahman said, admitting that the Court Point bridge has been lying abandoned for years.
