Painfully, though, two previous regimes, BNP (1991-1996) and AL (1996-2001), did not even entertain the plea for a third bridge either. Now, with only less than three months to go, however, the government is showing exceptional alacrity to get the construction work of a pillar-based bridge -- that, too, allegedly on a faulty design -- going as quickly as possible.

From its very late and abrupt desperation it seems clear that BNP will be mightily happy if it can get the work started at least on the day it hands over power to the caretaker government. Is there really no political expediency in this? Or is it, as alleged by government ministers, Chittagong City Corporation Mayor, ABM Mohiuddin Chowdhury, who is trying to make it a political issue?

I reckon the informed people including, of course, the inhabitants of greater Chittagong, are unlikely to give countenance to the observation of the ministers. While the government can start a development work at any time, in good faith, this particular timing -- with alleged trade-off with devastating fallouts -- provides ample ammunition to the skeptics.

There would be no scope for criticism of the pillar-based bridge had the experts of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Chittagong Port Authority (CPA) and some research bodies, not warned of the dangers of a third pillar-based bridge on the Karnaphuli river.

There are already two pillar-based bridges on the Kanaphuli river. The first one, Kalurghat Bridge (built in 1931) still serves with frequent closures due to essential repair works. The second one, Shah Amanat Bridge (built in 1989) got cracked within a few years of its construction and suffered a lethal jolt during the 1991 cyclone. Its workability has been nominal ever since.

Because of the two pillar-based bridges there is already the problem of loss of navigability due to sedimentation in the Karnaphuli river. The experts opine that the third pillar-based bridge, and resultant excessive siltation, would spell disaster for the river thus affecting the Chittagong port channel.

Consequently, the Chittagong port would lose its usability thereby severely affecting the economy of this region, from which Bangladesh's economy would not remain immune. Besides, jetties of the Bangladesh Navy, BIWTC, BIWTA, Marine Academy, Oil installations, TSP, SILO and other pubic and private institutions would also be in danger of becoming inoperative. The ecological balance of the region may also be in danger.

Powerful ministers of the government and the contractor of that proposed bridge, "China Major Bridge Company" and its consultant firm are, however, vociferous enough to establish their point. After all, our ministers, and contractors, are a lot more knowledgeable than the experts of BUET. They tend to stress the point that there will be no siltation as it will be a suspension-type bridge. But, a full suspension bridge is just not affordable as it would require nearly Taka 200 crore more which has been claimed to be saved by our cost-effective(!) ministers.

Admittedly, corruption of mammoth amounts, in various sectors of the government, is now being openly acknowledged, even by the ministers. Thus, the self-proclaimed credit of saving money by the ministers is, I think, a real joke! Yes, Taka 200 crore is indeed a big, and unmanageable, amount for the government. Reportedly, Taka 34,550 crore got drained out from the government exchequer over the last six years. Taka 2,000 crore has been misappropriated in DESA over the last few years. However, compared to the real magnitude of corruption in our country, the information provided above should be regarded as only the tip of the iceberg.

Meanwhile, Taka 17,000 crore was earmarked as block allocation in the last budget. Many economists have remarked that the amount will be used mainly for election purposes. But the government was not kind enough to get only Taka 200 crore even from that lavish source. It is to be mentioned here that the Chittagong City Corporation mayor made a proposal for constructing a suspension bridge with no finance from the government. He even proposed begging from door to door to collect the required amount.

Surely, accepting the mayor's proposal would have been humiliating for the government, but the government could have rebutted the city mayor's challenge by constructing a suspension bridge. It, however, chose the other way round. The government could even have sought donations from the inhabitants of Chittagong if it was not ready to allocate the actual, or extra, amount. In passing, the people of the country deposited money for the Jamuna Bridge for 15 years through paying surcharge.

There is also the grave allegation that the government spurned offers from Denmark and Japan for a suspension bridge for reasons best known to itself. In fact, there is no room for being regional in this age of globalisation. Chittagong has already become sort of a cosmopolitan zone, with permanent settlement of many people from other districts, which is essential, and welcome, for mutual enrichment and diversity.

Admittedly, development of a country entails development of all parts of it. A sound and eco-friendly Karnaphuli bridge is not only a long-standing demand of the people of the region, but also a national concern, as Chittagong port, and the nation's economy, are also involved with it.

Thus, the government will be well-advised to construct such a bridge that serves the purpose and creates no unintended side-effects. Short-time goal at the cost of the sustainability of the region and country's economy might well prove counter-productive.

Kazi SM Khasrul Alam Quddusi is Assistant Professor, Department of Public Administration, University of Chittagong.