Chief engineer Robert William Gales directed construction of this massive steel railway bridge between 1910 and 1915, named after Viceroy Lord Hardinge who opened it to traffic. Its fifteen main steel spans stretch 1,798 metres across the wide Padma riverbed, resting on concrete well foundations sunk deep into the silt. The bridge survived bombing in the 1971 war and remains fully operational, carrying passenger and freight trains between North Bengal and the south-west. Visitors gather along the Paksey riverbank near the bridge abutments to watch trains cross as the sun sets over the water.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free to view from the riverbank park; CNG from Pabna town roughly ৳250–350 each way
How to get to Hardinge Bridge
At Paksey in Ishwardi upazila, about 25 km west of Pabna town. Local buses or CNG auto-rickshaws from Pabna reach Paksey bazar in roughly 40 minutes.
Pabna town is about 215 km from Dhaka, around 5 hours by road. Every way to get there is in the Pabna guide.
Walking onto the railway tracks is strictly prohibited for safety; view the bridge from the designated embankment promenades below.
More to see in Pabna
Photo: Md. Sarwar Ul Islam Fakir, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Jor Bangla Temple জোড় বাংলা মন্দির
A 19th-century twin-hut terracotta temple in Pabna town, built in the distinct curved-roof do-chala style of Bengal.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free entry; rickshaw from central Pabna about ৳30
Photo: This work was made by Nafiur Rahman and released under the license(s) stated, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Tarash Bhaban (Tarash Rajbari) তাড়াশ ভবন
An 18th-century urban palace of the Tarash zamindars on Abdul Hamid Road, featuring European neoclassical porticos and open courtyards.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free to view; rickshaw in town about ৳20–30
Photo: Shariful Islam (Masum), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Chatmohar Shahi Mosque চাটমোহর শাহী মসজিদ
A three-domed brick mosque built in 1581 by Afghan rebel leader Masum Khan Kabuli, one of the oldest surviving mosques in North Bengal.
- Best time
- November to February
- Give it
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free entry; bus or CNG from Pabna town about ৳70–90 each way