District Representative , Gaibandha ,Published: 25 August 2025
Insecurity has been created in the area as more than a hundred reflector lights have been stolen within just a week of the theft of electric wires from street lights on Maulana Bhashani Bridge. Although the LGED authorities learned of the matter on Sunday, the operation to find the smugglers is still ongoing.
More than a hundred reflector lights were stolen from this bridge built over the Teesta River in Sundarganj Upazila last Saturday night. Locals have alleged that these thefts have occurred in a row due to the negligence of the concerned authorities, which has increased insecurity as well as problems with vehicular movement on the bridge and adjacent roads.
A total of 150 reflector lights were installed on the railings on both sides of the bridge, which light up when vehicles hit them. LGED Executive Engineer Ujjwal Chowdhury said that more than a hundred of the lights have been stolen and people have been sent to determine the exact number of stolen lights. In addition, a case has been registered at Sundarganj Police Station for theft of electrical wires.
After the bridge was inaugurated on the night of August 20, about 300 meters of electric wires were cut. Later that night, the guard in charge of the bridge, Nur Alam, filed a case as the plaintiff. Sundarganj Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OC) Abdul Hakim Azad said that the police are conducting a drive to recover the theft and identify the gang of thieves. To strengthen security, police guarding has been increased in the bridge area and plans are being made to set up a temporary camp.
The 1,490-meter-long and 9.6-meter-wide bridge, built at a cost of Tk 925 crore, was implemented by LGED with funding from the Bangladesh government, the Saudi Fund for Development, and the OPEC Fund for International Development. The bridge connects Haripurghat in Sundarganj upazila of Gaibandha to Chilmari upazila of Kurigram, reducing the distance from Dhaka by about 65 kilometers and from Chilmari by 93 kilometers.
However, due to the lack of safety measures, the bridge and adjacent roads are being plunged into darkness almost every day, creating new challenges for commuters.
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