Elliott Bridge, Sirajganj

Elliott Bridge (locally known as Boropool) is an old bridge over the Boral River in Sirajganj, north-western Bangladesh. The pillarless bridge is named after the Lieutenant Governor named Charles Alfred Elliott. It cost 45 thousand takas to make it. It is one of the major attractions of Sirajganj city.[2]

Elliott Bridge

ইলিয়ট সেতু
Coordinates24°27′38.1″N 89°42′30″E
CrossesBoral (Katakhali) River
LocaleSirajganj
Other name(s)Boropool
Maintained bySirajganj Municipality
Characteristics
DesignArch bridge
MaterialSteel and Concrete
Total length180 ft
Width16 ft
Height30 ft
No. of spans1
History
ArchitectStuart Hartland
Constructed byHartland Company
Construction start1892
Construction end1895[1]
Construction costTk 45,000
Location

History

The river Boral or Katakhali,[lower-alpha 1] which flows through the town named Sirajganj, divides the city into two parts, East and West. Due to its connection with the river Jamuna, the flow of water in this Katakhali was much higher. So in 1892, the then sub-divisional officer Bitson Bell, planned to build a bridge to solve the traffic problem between the two banks.[5]

The Hartland Company built the bridge, designed by Stuart Hartland who was a British engineer.[6] Charles Alfred Elliott, the then Lieutenant Governor of Bengal laid its foundation stone on 6 August 1892. The bridge, named Elliott Bridge, is named after him. The bridge has since been renovated several times.[7][8][9]

Funding

It cost Tk 45,000 to build the bridge at that time. Magistrate of Pabna District[lower-alpha 2] Julius gave a grant of Tk 15,000 from the district board. The rest of the money was collected from donations from local zamindars and rich people.[5]

Architecture

It is an arch bridge without pillars. The entire structure of the 160 feet long and 18 feet wide bridge is made of steel. Above it was a wooden deck. As they were destroyed, concrete was used later.[7]

The height of the bridge is 30 feet. The bridge was raised and built without pillars so as not to disrupt the movement of large cargo ships plying the Katakhali river. Apart from this, standing on the bridge so that the view of Sirajganj city could be seen was also another reason for building the bridge.[1]

Current status

The bridge is one of the sights of Sirajganj city. In 1962, the construction of the Sirajganj City Protection Dam on the Jamuna made the mouth of a sluice gate at the Baitara end of the Katakhali River and the other mouth closed. In 2019, the re-excavation of the river happened by Sirajganj Water Development Board. The river Jamuna was then connected to Baitara through a switch gate. As a result, water flows in the river and the bridge regains its beauty.[10] Heavy vehicles are not allowed to cross the bridge to protect it.

See also

References

Notes
  1. The river is recorded as "Boral River" and "Dhanbandhi River" in two different mouzas in the CS survey. When the river was re-excavated during the British rule, it became known as Katakhali.[3] In some sources it is referred to as "Hura Sagar" or "Hurasagar River".[4] Also in many sources it has been called canal.
  2. At that time Sirajganj was a subdivision of Pabna district.

Citations
  1. "সিরাজগঞ্জ ইলিয়ট ব্রিজ ঘিরে অনেক ইতিহাস" [Sirajganj has a lot of history around Elliott Bridge]. Naya Diganta (in Bengali). 2 February 2020. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  2. Jibon, Golam Mostofa (25 October 2007). "Eliot Bridge attracts tourists in Sirajganj". The Daily Star. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  3. "স্বপ্নের শহরের প্রতীক্ষায় সিরাজগঞ্জবাসী" [Sirajganj residents waiting for the dream city]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 23 March 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  4. Rahman, ABM Fazlur (24 May 2016). "সিরাজগঞ্জের ইলিয়ট ব্রিজ রক্ষায় মানববন্ধন" [People make human chain to protect Elliott Bridge in Sirajganj]. NTV Online (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  5. Bapon, Biswajit Bhattacharya; Das, Swapan Chandra (18 August 2015). "শত বছরের সুখ-দুঃখের সাক্ষী যে" [Witness of the joys and sorrows of a hundred years]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  6. "ইলিয়ট ব্রীজ" [Elliott Bridge]. Sirajganj District: Bangladesh National Portal (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  7. Mokaddes, HM (27 June 2018). "ইতিহাস সমৃদ্ধ সিরাজগঞ্জ শহরের বড়পুল" [Boropool of Sirajganj city is rich in history]. Jaijaidin (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  8. "Century-old Eliot Bridge losing attraction in S'ganj". The Daily Observer. 18 February 2017. Archived from the original on 26 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  9. "ইলিয়ট সেতুর ১২৭তম বর্ষপূর্তিতে সিরাজগঞ্জে উৎসব" [Festival in Sirajganj on the 128th anniversary of Elliott Bridge]. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 6 August 2020. Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.
  10. Bapon, Biswajit Bhattacharya; Das, Swapan Chandra (5 September 2021). "ঐতিহ্যের কাটাখালিতে যমুনার স্বচ্ছ পানি" [The clear water of the Jamuna in the traditional Katakhali]. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 20 May 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2022.

Bibliography
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