Aftabnagar-Banasree footbridge opens, to save commuters up to 40 minutes

photo: collected

The long-awaited footbridge connecting Aftabnagar and Banasree across the Rampura Canal was formally inaugurated on Wednesday, with the new link expected to cut travel time between the two areas by around 30 to 40 minutes.

Funded by Dhaka North City Corporation (DNCC), the bridge was inaugurated at Aftabnagar on September 23 by DNCC Administrator Md Safiqul Islam Khan.

Speaking at the inauguration, the DNCC administrator said residents of Aftabnagar and Banasree had long been demanding a direct connection between the two residential areas.

“The construction of this bridge will save citizens around 30 to 40 minutes in travel time. This will save valuable time for city dwellers,” he said.

He said the footbridge was part of a broader connectivity initiative in the area, with two additional steel bridges also under construction to accommodate heavy vehicles.

The administrator said the bridges would serve as important bypass routes once MRT construction begins, helping ease pressure on major roads and mitigate traffic congestion.

DNCC is implementing the footbridge project under the overall supervision of the Bangladesh Navy.

DNCC Chief Executive Officer Mir Khairul Alam, Chief Engineer Brigadier General Rakibul Hasan, Chief Waste Management Officer Commodore Mohammad Humayun Kabir, and Chief Health Officer Brigadier General Imrul Kayes Chowdhury were present, among others, during the inauguration programme.