LGED orders defective bridge sections demolished

Bangladesh's Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has ordered a contractor to demolish and rebuild four defective protective wings of a newly constructed bridge in Lalmonirhat after a preliminary investigation found serious construction flaws amid allegations of corruption, substandard workmanship and misuse of public funds in a multi-million-dollar infrastructure project.

The directive follows widespread public outrage after cracks appeared in all four protective wings of the bridge on the very day it was opened to traffic in Hatibandha upazila. The defects prompted local residents to accuse the contractor of using inferior construction materials and failing to comply with engineering specifications. Following News Bangladesh reports highlighting the alleged irregularities, LGED launched an investigation and instructed the contractor to dismantle the damaged sections and reconstruct them in accordance with the approved design and technical schedule. Demolition work began on Sunday.

The bridge forms part of an infrastructure project worth nearly Tk130 million aimed at rehabilitating a 9.3-kilometre road linking Daikhawa College with Burir Bazar in Bhelaguri Union, alongside the construction of four bridges of identical dimensions. Although the bridges were completed, the road surfacing work remains unfinished despite the project's scheduled completion last month. Residents allege that the bridge defects are symptomatic of broader irregularities across the entire project, claiming that low-grade concrete, reinforcing steel, bricks and sand were used while prescribed material quantities were ignored. They further alleged that repeated complaints to local authorities were disregarded and that some residents faced intimidation after raising concerns.

Project contractor Golam Mawla declined to comment on the allegations, saying LGED officials were responsible for responding to questions regarding the project. However, Hatibandha Upazila LGED Engineer Akhtar Hossain rejected allegations of official misconduct, claiming the contractor completed the bridge during the Eid holidays without informing engineering authorities or ensuring the presence of supervising officials. He said the contractor had also opened the bridge to traffic independently and confirmed that reconstruction of the defective wings is now underway under LGED's close supervision.

LGED Executive Engineer of Lalmonirhat, Kawsar Alam, said samples had been collected from the bridge's main structure and sent for laboratory testing to determine whether inferior or insufficient construction materials had been used. He warned that if laboratory results confirm structural deficiencies or violations of technical specifications, the entire bridge will be demolished and rebuilt. Pending completion of the investigation, LGED has suspended road carpeting work and ordered comprehensive quality assessments of all construction materials used in the project.

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Officials said administrative action would be taken against the contractor if evidence of negligence or malpractice is established. They also pledged disciplinary proceedings against any LGED personnel found to have been involved in approving or overlooking substandard construction, underscoring the government's commitment to ensuring accountability and safeguarding the integrity of public infrastructure projects.