No risk in removing soil from Padma Bridge pillars: Bridge Minister

There is no basis for the concerns spread on social media about the removal of soil from the side of the Padma Bridge pillars, said Road Transport, Bridges, Shipping and Railways Minister Sheikh Rabiul Alam. He said that the soil being removed is not part of the main structure of the bridge or the foundation of the pillars. The soil was temporarily filled to facilitate the movement of heavy machinery, vehicles and construction materials during the construction work.

The minister said this in response to questions from journalists at a dialogue at the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum at the Secretariat on Thursday. He said that after the discussion on the issue began, he spoke to the concerned engineers, experts in charge of the army and experienced officials of the Padma Bridge project. According to their opinion, the removal of soil does not pose any risk to the safety or stability of the Padma Bridge.

The minister also said that the temporarily filled soil was supposed to be removed after the completion of the project work. The matter was also included in the contract agreement and the necessary allocation was made for it. However, as the work was not completed on time, grass grew on the soil that had been lying there for a long time and the place started to look like normal land to many. As a result, when the work of removing the soil has started now, many people are mistakenly thinking that the soil is being removed from the base of the pillar.

Sheikh Rabiul Alam said that this soil needs to be removed as planned to maintain the normal flow of the river, navigability and ecological balance. In the same dialogue, he also informed about the government's plans for the management of the capital's bus terminals. The minister said that initiatives have been taken to ensure modern waiting rooms, adequate lighting, CCTV and improved toilet facilities to improve the quality of passenger service. In addition, to reduce traffic congestion in Dhaka, a plan will be implemented to gradually shift the bus terminals outside the city and restore order in public transport through a route-based company system.