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Pabna, Rajshahi

Hardinge Bridge

The great steel railway bridge over the Padma at Paksey, opened in 1915, with the Lalon Shah road bridge beside it — the classic Padma view of north Bengal.

Local food to try

  • Padma fish

    Hardinge Bridge

    River fish fried or in curry at the eateries of Paksey and Ishwardi; hilsa in season.

  • Tea and snacks by the river

    Hardinge Bridge

    Tea, chanachur and fried snacks from the stalls near the bridge.

  • Doi and sweets

    Hardinge Bridge

    Pabna’s milk sweets, from the shops of Ishwardi.

Where to eat

  • Paksey riverside stalls

    Paksey, Ishwardi

    Tea and snack stalls where visitors gather near the bridges, busiest in the afternoon.

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  • Ishwardi town

    Ishwardi, Pabna

    Rice hotels and restaurants near the station and bazar.

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Where to stay

History

The Hardinge Bridge was built by the British to carry the railway across the Padma between Paksey and Bheramara, and opened in 1915. It was named after Lord Hardinge, then Viceroy of India. With its row of steel spans standing on deep piers, it was one of the great engineering works of its time in the subcontinent.

During the Liberation War in 1971 one of its spans was damaged; it was repaired after independence, and trains still cross it today on the main line between the north and the south-west.

Next to it stands the Lalon Shah Bridge, a road bridge opened in 2004 and named after the mystic poet-singer whose shrine is across the river at Kushtia. Seen together from the riverbank at Paksey, the old iron bridge and the new concrete one make one of the best-known river views in the country.

Tour plans

Afternoon at Paksey

Half a day

  1. Step 1: To Ishwardi

    Leave Pabna town after lunch by bus or CNG for Ishwardi.

  2. Step 2: On to Paksey

    Take an auto-rickshaw to the riverbank below the two bridges.

  3. Step 3: Walk the riverbank

    Walk below the Hardinge and Lalon Shah bridges, or take a short boat ride if one is available.

  4. Step 4: Sunset and a train

    Stay for the sunset over the Padma and, with luck, a train rumbling across the old bridge.

  5. Step 5: Dinner in Ishwardi

    Eat in Ishwardi before heading back to Pabna or catching a train.

Map

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Plan your visit

Best time to visit

October to March; late afternoon for the sunset over the Padma

How to get there

From Pabna town, take a bus or CNG to Ishwardi (about an hour), then an auto-rickshaw to Paksey, around 20 minutes. From Ishwardi Junction it is a short ride.

Getting around

At Paksey, walk along the riverbank paths below the bridges. Small boats sometimes take visitors onto the river and to the char — agree on the trip before you set off.

Travel tips

  • Do not walk on the railway bridge or the tracks — it is dangerous and not allowed.
  • The best views are from the riverbank and the char at Paksey; boats can sometimes be hired to go under the bridges.
  • In the dry season the river shrinks and you can walk out on the sandbanks; in the monsoon it runs fast — take care near the water.
  • Some railway and power-plant areas nearby are restricted; follow signs and guards’ instructions.
  • Stay for sunset, and watch for a train crossing.

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