The structure of Bangladesh Railway’s railway bridge No. 12 over Anderson Canal (Kurulia Canal) in the Kautali area of Brahmanbaria city has been damaged after a bulkhead carrying sand hit it. Locals fear that if such repeated impacts continue, a major accident could occur at any time.
Local sources say that sand-laden bulkheads regularly ply through the Titas River and Anderson Canal carrying sand illegally extracted from the Meghna River. These heavy vessels often hit the pillars and girders of the railway bridge while moving. The latest sand-laden bulkhead got stuck under railway bridge number 12, causing serious damage to various parts of the bridge.
Locals have alleged that even though the bulkhead got stuck after the incident, efforts are being made to remove the vessel by lowering sand into the river under the bridge. They fear that this could further increase the extent of the damage.
It is worth noting that in 2025, in a similar incident, the girder of the railway bridge moved due to the impact of a bulkhead carrying sand. Later, a mobile court was conducted and some bulkheads were fined and instructed to be careful in the future. At that time, the Bangladesh Railway authorities had announced a plan to install metal guards on the bridge pillars so that no vessel could directly hit the bridge. However, it is alleged that even after a year, that plan has not been implemented.
Railway enthusiast Sohel Rana Bhuiyan said in a post on social media that it is necessary to quickly put light-reflecting stickers on the pillars of the railway bridge so that ships can understand the position of the bridge from a distance at night. This will greatly reduce accidents and damage to the bridge.
He further said that two days ago, he had warned that the bridge was at risk due to a sand-laden bulkhead. But this time, a bulkhead has caused major damage to the bridge. He sought the intervention of the local administration and police to quickly seize the damaged bulkhead.
Despite repeated attempts to contact Ashuganj Naval Port Officer Nadim Hossain on his mobile phone, his statement could not be obtained.
Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Md. Abusaid said, “We saw the matter on social media. As far as I know, BIWTA gives permission for the movement of vessels on waterways. We will talk to BIWTA. We have informed the chairman about the matter. We will see what decision he takes.”
Local citizens claim that if immediate and effective measures are not taken to protect this important railway bridge, train traffic may be at risk in the future and there is a risk of a major accident occurring at any time.