Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Sunday opened the second Dharla Bridge in Kurigram district on Sunday.

She inaugurated the bridge, named Sheikh Hasina Dharla Bridge, through a videoconference from her official residence Ganobhaban.

The 950-metre long bridge over the Dharla River has connected Fulbari upazila of Kurigram and Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila.

Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) implemented the bridge project. The construction work on the bridge started in 2014.

Some 10 lakh people of Fulbari, Nageshwari and Bhurungamari upazilas of Kurigram district will largely be benefited due to the construction of the bridge as they now can communicate with the Rangpur divisional city in a short time.

The 9.8-metre wide bridge has 19 spans and 2.919 km of approach roads.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said there have been massive development in the country over the last nine years as Awami League formed governments winning the 2008 and the 2014 elections.

“We’ve proved that a country can be developed and prosperous with the continuation of government and its sincerity,” she said.

The Prime Minister asked all to discharge their duties properly.

Talking about the development of the northern region, Hasina said her government had removed ‘famine’ from the region after assuming power in 1996, but it staged a comeback when the BNP-Jamaat regime returned.

Hasina said Bangladesh has set an example in world history by exchanging exclaves in a very peaceful manner with its neighbouring country.

She said her government also constructed the first Dharla Bridge during her 1996-2001 rule, though the BNP government opened it two-three months after assuming office in 2001.

The main bridge (Dharla Bridge 2) cost Tk 131.58 crore, while the approach roads Tk 13.09, the 3.5-km river training works Tk 43.50 crore and land acquisitionTk 2.33 crore.

The total estimated cost of the bridge project was Tk 206.85 crore.

At the launching event at Ganobhaban, Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives Minister Khandker Mosharraf Hossain delivered the welcome speech, while Principal Secretary Md Nojibur Rahman conducted it.

Local Government Division Senior Secretary Dr Zafar Ahmed Khan made a video presentation.