Unseen Bangladesh
Pabna District · Rajshahi Division · হার্ডিঞ্জ ব্রিজ ও লালন শাহ সেতু
Hardinge Bridge and Lalon Shah Bridge travel guide
The old railway bridge and new road bridge side by side at Pakshi; views of the Padma.
At a glance
- Hardinge Bridge
- Opened 1915, about 1.8 km
- Spans
- 15 steel spans
- Lalon Shah Bridge
- Opened 2004 (road bridge)
- Location
- Pakshi, Ishwardi
History and details
To ease rail links between East Bengal and Kolkata, work on a railway bridge over the Padma began in 1909; the chief engineer was Sir Robert William Gales. In 1915 the then Viceroy, Lord Hardinge, opened the bridge, which bears his name. When built, its foundations were among the deepest bridge foundations in the world.
In December 1971, during the Liberation War, the bridge's 12th span was damaged in an Indian air raid and fell into the river; it was repaired and reopened in 1972 after independence.
In 2004 the Lalon Shah Bridge opened alongside for road traffic. Pakshi has been the railway's divisional headquarters since British times; its old bungalows, railway colony and the Padma bank make it great for photos. The Rooppur nuclear power plant is nearby.
Things to do
- Get both bridges in one frame from the riverbank
- Take a boat on the Padma under the bridges
- See Pakshi railway colony and the old bungalows
- Sit on the Padma bank at sunset
How to get to Hardinge Bridge and Lalon Shah Bridge
At Pakshi in Ishwardi upazila.
Pabna is about 160 km from Dhaka; the journey takes 4 hours.
- 🚌 By bus: Pabna Express, Shyamoli, Hanif from Gabtoli; fare ৳450–650.
- 🚆 By train: Dhalarchar Express to Pabna; or North Bengal trains to Ishwardi.
Where to stay
The district town has basic and mid-range hotels (roughly ৳800–2,500). Government circuit houses and dak bungalows can be used with permission.
What to eat
Pabna's para sandesh, ghee
Good to know
- Get both bridges in one frame from the riverbank below
- Walking on the railway line is prohibited
More to see nearby
- Pakshi railway colony (1 km)
- Rooppur nuclear power plant area (5 km)
- Shrine of Lalon Shah, Kushtia (25 km)
More places to visit in Pabna district
- Suchitra Sen's family home — The childhood home of the screen legend Suchitra Sen, now a museum.
- Jor Bangla Temple — An 18th-century terracotta jor-bangla temple.
- Tarash Zamindar Bari — A handsome zamindar building in Pabna town.