Due to excessive plying of stone-laden trucks, the Sheikh Hasina Teesta Bridge over the Teesta river and its connecting roads are getting dilapidated and risky.

Even two months ago, the 15-kilometre connecting roads on both sides of the bridge had three barrier posts to prevent heavy vehicles from plying it. The authorities of Local Government Engineering Department removed those and opened the bridge to all types of vehicles.

Since then, around 300 trucks, loaded with 30-50 tonnes of stones each from Burimari Land Port, started using the bridge daily. Due to this, the bitumen cover of the bridge's road, as well as of the connecting roads, is getting removed, leaving the road surface dilapidated and prone to accidents, said locals.

Kakina-Mahipur road is a very important route for residents and traders of four upazilas in Lalmonirhat to connect to the land port and other areas including Rangpur city.

More than 10,000 light vehicles ply the bridge daily.

Since the past two months, the bridge and connecting roads have become risky for lighter vehicles due to the damage to the roads caused by the stone-laden trucks.

The 850-metre bridge was constructed over the Teesta River at a cost of about Tk 131 crore at Mahipur in ​​Rangpur' s Gangachhara upazila.

The prime minister inaugurated it on September 16, 2018. Its connecting roads were widened and renovated spending over Tk 22 crore this year.

"Businesspersons with political backing pressed the LGED authorities to remove the barrier posts and allow heavy vehicles to ply the bridge and use the connecting roads. The move has led to the roads getting damaged and making it risky for lighter vehicles," said Shamsul Alam, a trader in Mahipur area.

Nazrul Islam, a truck driver, said, "We use this route as it reduces our distance by around 50km, saving us time and money, instead of going to Rangpur through Lalmonirhat town. There is also no toll on the bridge, which benefits us."

Contacted, Mohammad Shahjahan Ali, executive engineer of LGED in Rangpur, said, "We are taking preparations to repair the bridge's bitumen cover. Also, heavy vehicles will be barred from using the bridge. A meeting was held at Rangpur divisional commissioner's office in this regard recently."