A Major Bridge is Opened in Bangladesh

June 23, 1998

Bangabandhu Bridge, which crosses the Jamuna River in north-central Bangladesh, made its debut. This road-rail bridge serves as a key link between the upazila (administrative region) of Bhuapur on the east side of the Jamuna River and the city of Sirajganj on the river’s west bank.

Bangabandhu Bridge was officially opened by Sheikh Hasina, prime minister of Bangladesh. The bridge was named in honor of her late father Sheikh Mujibur (Mujib) Rahman, who is widely regarded as the father of Bangladesh and was the country’s first president. Mujib has been popularly dubbed “Bangabandhu,” which is the Bengali phrase for “Friend of Bengal.” (Present-day Bangladesh had once been part of the British Indian province of Bengal.)

Bangabandhu Bridge is also known as the Jamuna Bridge. With a total length of three miles (4.8 kilometers), it is the sixth longest bridge in South Asia.

Photo Credit: Mahbub Shaheed/Prometheus-BD (licensed under Creative Commons)

For more information on Bangabandhu Bridge, please check out https://structurae.net/en/structures/bangabandhu-bridge