From 1988 to 2026: A Demand for a Bridge, a Long Civic Movement, and the Future of Greater Chattogram
Some demands do not become outdated with time. Rather, as time moves forward, their importance grows deeper and more compelling in light of people’s lives, changing realities and future needs.
The demand for a modern new rail-cum-road bridge over the Karnaphuli River at Kalurghat is one such longstanding public demand.
Today is September 14, 2026. Exactly six years ago, on September 14, 2020, a memorandum was submitted on behalf of Chattogram Nagorik Forum, under my leadership, through the Chattogram Divisional Administration to the then Hon’ble Prime Minister, demanding the construction of a new rail-cum-road bridge at Kalurghat.
Six years have passed, but the questions raised in that memorandum remain relevant even today. In fact, with the expansion of Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail connectivity, industrialization, urbanization, tourism, trade, commerce and economic activities in southern Chattogram, the need for a new bridge at Kalurghat is now greater than ever.
The September 14, 2020 programme was not merely a memorandum submission for me; it was an important chapter in a long-running civic movement. Led by me, Chattogram Nagorik Forum submitted the memorandum through the Chattogram Divisional Administration to the Hon’ble Prime Minister.
The memorandum highlighted not only the demand for a new rail-cum-road bridge at Kalurghat, but also the deteriorating condition of the old bridge, the increasing pressure of vehicles, prolonged traffic congestion, public suffering, the need for safe connectivity, and the growing economic potential of southern Chattogram.
At the time of receiving the memorandum, the then Acting Additional Divisional Commissioner, Shankar Ranjan Saha, welcomed the leaders of Chattogram Nagorik Forum and assured them that the memorandum would be duly forwarded to the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s Office. He also referred to the government’s commitment to the country’s development and expressed hope for positive steps toward constructing a second bridge at Kalurghat.
Advocate Masudul Alam Bablu, Advocate Selim Chowdhury, Akram Hossain, Jasim Uddin, Lovely Dio, Md. Ali, Md. Rakib, Murad Hossain Biplob and other leaders of the civic forum were present at the programme.
However, my involvement with the Kalurghat Bridge issue did not begin in 2020. I have long been involved in the movement for the development of Greater Chattogram, improved connectivity and the establishment of civic rights.
Since becoming actively involved in the development movement of Greater Chattogram in 1988, I have come to realize that the genuine development of the people of Greater Chattogram cannot be ensured if the development of Chattogram is confined only within the boundaries of the metropolitan city.
An improved and safe transportation system is essential to effectively connect the large population living on the southern bank of the Karnaphuli River with Chattogram city and the country’s economic activities.
Kalurghat is extremely important for connecting people from Boalkhali, Patiya, Chandanaish, Satkania, Anwara, Banshkhali and other areas of southern Chattogram with the city. At the same time, Kalurghat has broader significance for connectivity and economic activities involving Cox’s Bazar and the Chattogram Hill Tracts.
With this understanding, I have for many years highlighted the need for a new bridge at Kalurghat through various meetings, seminars, human chains, memoranda, public outreach initiatives and efforts to build public opinion.
The old Kalurghat Bridge has long served as an important route for both road and rail communication. But over time, Chattogram’s population has increased, the number of vehicles has risen, people’s movement has expanded, and new settlements, businesses and industrial establishments have developed across southern Chattogram. At the same time, the scope of Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail connectivity has also expanded.
As a result, the pressure on the old bridge continues to increase. Because the bridge operates as a single-lane crossing, even a minor traffic disruption can quickly turn into prolonged congestion. People often have to wait for hours to cross the bridge.
This suffering is not merely a waste of time. It affects people’s working hours, causes business losses, disrupts students’ educational activities, creates difficulties for patients seeking medical treatment and can affect access to emergency services.
When a critically ill patient has to remain stuck in traffic while being rushed to a hospital, the limitations of a bridge are no longer merely a transportation problem. They become a matter of human life and safety.
Our demand regarding the Kalurghat Bridge, therefore, is not simply a demand for traffic congestion to be reduced. It is a demand for a long-term development plan.
The construction of a modern new rail-cum-road bridge would make communication between Chattogram city and southern Chattogram faster, safer and more efficient. It would facilitate the transportation of goods, accelerate trade and commerce, expand opportunities for industrialization, enable agricultural products to reach markets more quickly and create new employment opportunities.
It would further strengthen the connection between the economic activities of southern Chattogram and Chattogram city. At the same time, it would have a positive impact on tourism in Cox’s Bazar, industrial and commercial activities in southern Chattogram and the wider economy of Greater Chattogram.
The launch and expansion of Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail connectivity have created new possibilities for the transportation system in the southeastern region. The relationship between Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar has become stronger through tourism, trade, commerce and the movement of people.
In this new reality, it is necessary to seriously consider how reasonable it is to depend on the old Kalurghat Bridge for the transportation needs of the future.
We believe that constructing a new rail-cum-road bridge at Kalurghat in coordination with the modern rail transportation system is essential. Planning cannot be based only on present needs; the bridge must be designed by taking into account the demands of the coming several decades.
The Karnaphuli Tunnel has also created a new dimension of economic and residential potential in southern Chattogram. Improved connectivity between the two banks of the Karnaphuli is creating new opportunities for industry, business, housing and tourism in southern Chattogram.
It can reasonably be expected that population settlements and economic activities in this region will increase further in the coming days. Therefore, it is important to develop an integrated transportation plan from now on.
A new bridge at Kalurghat can be an indispensable part of that plan. It would not merely be a bridge; it would create a strong economic link between Chattogram city and southern Chattogram.
The dream and role of the late Member of Parliament Moin Uddin Khan Badal in demanding a second bridge at Kalurghat must also be remembered with respect. He understood the longstanding transportation difficulties faced by the people of southern Chattogram and was vocal about the need for a new bridge at Kalurghat.
His dream has now become intertwined with the long-standing expectations of the people of southern Chattogram.
Today, this demand is no longer the demand of any single individual or organization. It has become an equitable and logical demand of a large population.
Six years ago, we submitted the memorandum under the banner of Chattogram Nagorik Forum demanding a new Kalurghat Bridge. Today, that civic movement has expanded organizationally.
We are now working to develop the Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum as a strong platform for the civic rights, development, connectivity and public-interest concerns of the people of the wider region.
Alongside Chattogram city, Chattogram North District and Chattogram South District, broader organizational programmes are being undertaken with the problems and possibilities of the people of Cox’s Bazar, Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari in mind.
In other words, today’s civic movement is no longer confined to a single city or district. It has become part of an integrated development vision for the people of Greater Chattogram.
The current leadership of the Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum includes Chairman Abu Sayed, Executive President and former Assistant Police Commissioner Mahafuzur Rahman, Senior Vice President Lion Sanaullah, Senior Joint Secretary-General Lion Zillur Rahman, Organizing Secretary Syed Mohammad Selim, and myself as Secretary-General.
Our objective is to highlight the problems and potential of Greater Chattogram on the basis of public interest, rising above partisan politics and narrow regional considerations, and to present them in an organized manner before the government’s policymakers.
We believe that it is difficult to achieve long-term solutions if the problems of Greater Chattogram are viewed in isolation.
The waterlogging, traffic congestion and civic problems of Chattogram city are important, just as the connectivity and infrastructural challenges of Chattogram North and South districts are important.
Tourism and connectivity in Cox’s Bazar; tourism, connectivity and development potential in Rangamati, Bandarban and Khagrachhari; and industrialization, employment and economic growth throughout the region are all interconnected within a broader development framework.
Therefore, the objective of the Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum is to bring the region under an integrated development vision and to organize and present the legitimate demands of its people.
One of the key priorities of this broader programme will be the construction of a new rail-cum-road bridge at Kalurghat.
To advance this demand, we will undertake, as necessary, meetings, seminars, discussions, memoranda, human chains, public outreach, public opinion-building initiatives and other lawful civic programmes.
Through discussions with the relevant ministries and departments, the railway authorities, agencies responsible for roads and transportation, engineers, experts, elected representatives, business leaders, professionals, academics and representatives of civil society, we will further highlight the necessity of the Kalurghat Bridge.
We want the planning, design, financing and implementation processes of the project to move forward rapidly, and we want the people to be informed of a clear implementation plan.
Our movement is not intended to oppose the government. Rather, our aim is to connect the legitimate demands and recommendations of civil society with the government’s development activities so that the benefits of development can reach a broader section of the population.
It is the responsibility of civil society to present to the government demands that are necessary in the public interest, consistent with reality and essential for the future development of a region.
We want to continue working with that sense of responsibility.
Looking back six years later, it seems that the memorandum of 2020 was an important document in a long-running movement.
At that time, we had a memorandum in our hands, a group of people beside us and a specific demand.
Today, we have the experience of a long civic movement, a broader organizational structure and the expectations of people from different districts of Greater Chattogram.
Time has not stopped us. Rather, time has made the necessity of our movement even clearer.
The journey that began in 1988 with demands for the development of Greater Chattogram reached an important chapter on September 14, 2020, when Chattogram Nagorik Forum submitted the memorandum demanding a new Kalurghat Bridge.
Now, in 2026, that civic movement has expanded further. Through the organizational programmes of the Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum, we are moving forward with the development demands and various problems of people across five districts and the metropolitan city.
We believe that constructing a new bridge at Kalurghat is not merely a transportation project. It is an important step toward ending the longstanding suffering of the people of southern Chattogram, strengthening the economic relationship between Chattogram city and southern Chattogram, modernizing Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar connectivity and accelerating the future development of Greater Chattogram.
Therefore, moving this demand toward implementation without further delay is now the demand of the time.
Six years ago, we went to the administration carrying a memorandum. Six years later, the memory of that memorandum reminds us once again of our responsibility.
At that time, we said that Kalurghat needed a new bridge. Today, we say with even greater conviction that a modern new rail-cum-road bridge at Kalurghat is now a demand of the time, a demand for public safety, a demand for the economic development of southern Chattogram and a demand for the future of Greater Chattogram.
We want the decision-making and implementation process for the construction of the new Kalurghat Bridge to move forward rapidly.
We want the people of southern Chattogram to have safe and uninterrupted mobility.
We want no patient, student, employee, businessperson or ordinary citizen to remain stuck in traffic on the bridge for hours.
We want modern integration between road connectivity and Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail connectivity.
And we want every district of Greater Chattogram to receive equal opportunities for development.
Kalurghat Bridge, therefore, is not merely a bridge to us.
It is a bridge for people’s safety.
It is a bridge for the economy.
It is a bridge for the development of southern Chattogram.
It is a bridge connecting Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar.
And above all, it is a bridge connecting the present with the future of Greater Chattogram.
From the journey that began in 1988, to the memorandum of 2020, and to the broader organizational strength we have built in 2026, there is one commitment at the heart of it all:
We will not step back from the legitimate demands and development needs of the people of Greater Chattogram.
Until the demand for a new bridge at Kalurghat is fulfilled, the Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum’s lawful, peaceful and public-interest-oriented movement will continue.
Md. Kamal Uddin
Secretary-General
Greater Chattogram Nagorik Forum