The heavy vehicles use the bridge as the ferry service on the river Karnaphuli at Kalurghat point has not been operating for more than four months.

Movement on the bridge was suspended on August 10 in 2004 as the bridge became risky due to multiple cracks in the pillars, track plates, packing plates, fishplates and side channels, sources said.

Roads and Highways (R & H) Department launched the ferry service as an alternative means for the period of Kalurghat Bridge renovation work.

The renovation work, under the authority of Bangladesh Railway, took around 11 months at a cost of Tk 10 crore. The bridge was opened to traffic on June 22 June last year. The ferry service, however, continued to operate with a view to preventing movement of heavy vehicles on the bridge.

Vehicles weighing over 10 tonnes are prohibited on Kalurghat Bridge due to its structural incapability. But within four months of its reopening, the ferry service was closed down abruptly on October 16. As a result, heavy vehicles beyond capacity of 10 tonnes are now plying through the bridge.

Jashim, a leaser of ferry ghat, said they are not operating the ghat as the one-year contract between the leaser Abdus Salam Enterprise and Roads & Highways (R & H) expired on October 3 last year.

Md Ishaq, Sub Divisional Engineer of R & H, Chittagong Sub-Division, said they cancelled the lease of the Abdus Salam Enterprise and took responsibility of the ferry on September 26 following its failure to pay the 4th installment.

But, the ferry service under R & H has proved to be a losing concern and the authorities closed it down after just 20 days.

The R & H earned only Tk 2,500 a day from the service whereas the lease organisation used to pay them Tk 68,000 a day, sources said.

"The heavy vehicles started using the bridge instead of the ferry as soon as it was opened to traffic because of high charges by the leasers," said an R & H official.

The railway fixed Tk 30 as charge for each loaded truck or bus on the bridge while Tk it is 170 in the ferry. This huge difference might have prompted the owners to use the bridge, he said.

"Though it was costly for us to run the ferry we were determined to continue the service. But we had to stop it following suspension of oil supply for the ferry as we were unable to pay the price for oil", Ishaq said. Besides, 'We don't have any allocation from government in this regard,' he added.

Firoze Iqbal, executive engineer of the R & H, said we requested the government for more allocation for oil and it is under process.

Transportation of heavily loaded vehicles to and from Chittagong and southern Chittagong districts depend entirely on the ferry service at two points-- Firingibazaar Bridge ghat and Kalurghat Bridge.

Movement of heavy vehicles on the Shah Amanat Bridge is also prohibited due to its poor condition.

The ferry service at the Firingibazaar Bridgeghata point was also remained suspended for seven days this month. It caused serious disruption in transporting goods and raw materials to Bandarban, Cox's Bazar and Tekhnaf from rest of the country.

Nasir, a truck driver, said at least 1000 heavy vehicles like truck, buses or covered van, used the two points.

Now most of the vehicles use the Kalurghat Bridge, he said.

Akbar, a truck driver from North Bengal, said he preferred the Kalurghat Bridge as the Shah Amanat Bridge is not in good condition and only one ferry operates at the Firingibazaar point for only six hours a day.

A number of people, including schoolchildren, were found crossing the narrow bridge on foot taking risk.

Schoolgirl Nasima, who crosses the bridge on foot on her way to school, said when a vehicle comes nearer to her on the bridge she clenches the railing. The bridge starts trembling while the vehicles cross it, she said.

Billah, guard of the bridge, said nobody cares when we forbid the people to cross the bridge on foot.