Lalon Shah Bridge Kushtia

Lalon Shah Bridge connecting Kushtia and Pabna districts is located on the Padma River next to Hardinge Bridge, 31 km away from Kushtia district. Lalan Shah Bridge is named after the famous Baul saint Guru Fakir Lalan Sai of Kushtia. Lalon Shah Bridge, also known as Pakshi Bridge, is one of the largest road bridges in Bangladesh. The foundation span of this 7.5 meter two-lane bridge was laid on 13 January 2001 and was fully opened to traffic on 18 May 2008.

The 1.8 km long and 18.10 m wide Lalon Shah Bridge provides road connectivity between Pabna and Kushtia. The total number of spans of the bridge is 17 and the distance between each span is 109.5 meters. The two lanes of the bridge are separated by a divider. Lalon Shah Bridge has been contributing to the economic and transportation system of Bangladesh along with the development of the communication system between the southwest region and the northwest region.

Lalon Shah Bridge has become a popular tourist spot in Kushtia due to the beautiful natural environment of the padma waves, the shape of Bengal covered in green and the gusty winds. And so every day numerous visitors come to spend time in the beautiful natural environment of the bridge.

Kushtia can be reached by bus and train from Dhaka via Padma Bridge. You can go to Kushtia by New SB Super Deluxe, Shyamoli, Hanif buses from Kalyanpur bus stand in the capital. Bus fare will be Tk 600-700 for non-AC, Tk 1000-1200 for AC.

If you want to go by train, you can go by Sundarban Express, Madhumati Express and Benapole Express. Sundarban Express leaves at 8:15 AM, Madhumati Express at 3 PM and Benapole Express at 11:45 PM from Kamalapur Railway Station. The ticket price is Tk 410-943 depending on the seat of the train. By train you have to get down at Kushtia Court station. From Kushtia city you can visit Lalon Shah Bridge by local transport like rickshaw/easy bike.

But going to Lalon Shah Bridge from Pabna is quite convenient. Pakshi Lalon Shah Bridge is located on the Padma River next to the Pakshi Rooppur Project, just 13 km from Ishwardi Upazila of Pabna. You can visit this bridge by crossing the road for 1 hour from Pabna district headquarters at Dashuria intersection.

Kushtia town has several mid-range residential hotels like Hotel Ratul, Hotel Noor, Hotel Liberty and Shapla Hotel for overnight stays.

On the way from Kushtia city to Lalon Shah Setu, you can meet your food needs from hotels and restaurants like Punak Food Park, Piyaji Ghar, Bismillah Coffee House, Avakash Cafe, Hotel Lake View and Sundari. And if you get a chance, you must try Kushtia's famous sesame khwaja and kulfi.

Among the places of interest in Kushtia are the shrine of Lalon Shah , Bastuvita of Mir Mosharraf Hossain, Tegar Lodge and Kuthibari and Museum of Rabindra Tagore.

Feature Image: Mahbudur Rahman