Bangladesh, Aug. 22 -- The long-awaited Maulana Bhasani Bridge over the Teesta River, a long-cherished dream of residents of Gaibandha and Kurigram, has plunged into darkness on the night of its inauguration.

Thieves dug up about 310m of power cable from the newly built bridge, leaving the lampposts without electricity.

"Someone or other has cut the power cable connected to the bridge from the Haripur point. That is why the lights on the lampposts did not light up at night after the bridge was inaugurated," said Kazi Mahbubur Rahman Milon, deputy assistant engineer of the Upazila Engineering Department, on Friday.

He added that work was under way to restore electricity and that the lights would likely return in a day or two.

The bridg...