Issued by Bangladesh

Issued on Oct 28, 2023

Issued for : To mark the event Bangladesh Post has issued a Commemorative Stamp of Tk. 10 (ten), a Souvenir Sheet containing 4 Commemorative Stamp of tk. 50 (fifty), a First Day Cover of tk. 10 (ten), a Data Card of Tk. 5 (five) and a Special Canceller.

Designer (Stamp, FDC & Canceller) : Mr. Sumanto Kumar

Designer (Souvenir Sheet) : Mr. Sanjiv Kanti Das

Type : Souvenir Sheet, Mint Condition

No. of Stamp : 01 (One) Piece

Color : Multicolour

Denomination of Stamp : Tk. 10/- (Ten)

Denomination of Souvenir Sheet : Tk. 50/- (Fifty)

Size of Stamp : 32 mm x 48 mm

Size of Souvenir Sheet : 145 mm x 100 mm

Perforation of Stamps : 12.5

Qnt of Stamps : 1,00,000 (One Lac) pcs

Qnt of Souvenir Sheet : 40,000 (Forty Thousands) pcs

Process of Printing : Offset

Printer : The Security Printing Corporation (Bangladesh) Ltd., Gazipur-1703

About : 

• Construction of “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel” in Chattogram under the river Karnaphuli is an initiative of the present government led by Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to fulfil the dream “Golden Bengal” of the greatest Bengali of all time, the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, which is the first under river road Tunnel in Bangladesh as well as in the South Asia. In the year 2010 Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina declared in a public meeting in Chattogram to construct a tunnel under the river Karnaphuli. Then the Project was initiated in 2011 by a feasibility study. Later on, during the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister in China on 09 June, 2014 a Government to Government based Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed with Chinese Government for constructing the tunnel. Accordingly, China Government nominated “China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC Ltd)” for Constructing the tunnel. Thereafter, on 30 June, 2015 the Loan Agreement was signed between Bangladesh Bridge Authority and China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC Ltd.). Afterward, on 14 October, 2016 the Loan Agreement was signed between Exim Bank of China & Economic Relation Division and in the Same day His Excellency Hon’ble President of the People’s Republic of China Xi Jinping and Hon’ble Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the foundation stone of tunnel construction.
• Objectives of the Project: –
  • In order to make connectivity of the coveted “One City and Two Town” model, development of road communication with the south-east part of the country, connectivity with the Asian Highway Network, connection with Chattogram Port & Airport, reduction of existing traffic congestion bypassing Chattogram city, development of existing & developing industrial zone as well as for flourishing tourism industry at the Anowara end and for smooth functioning of port, initiatives were taken to construct a tunnel under the river Karnaphuli.
• Rationale of the Project: –
  • To enable the entry and berthing of large vessels with higher requirement of draft and length, construction of a Deep-Sea Port in Matarbari, Chattogram is under planning. It is expected that the cargo traffic through Chattogram will increase significantly after opening the operation of the Deep-Sea Port. Moreover, to avoid the sedimentation problem under the river Karnaphuli it is essential to construct a tunnel instead of a bridge. Thus, Construction of Tunnel appears to be a prerequisite in fulfilling the above important objectives.
• Tunnel Alignment: –
  • West Side: 2 Km downstream of the River Karnaphuli from the Airport & near Navy College.
  • East Side: At the Anowara end near KAFCO Fertilizer Factory.
  • Tunnel Type: Dual Two-Lane Tube.
• Construction Method: –
  • The tunneling works of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel had been done by “Shield Driven Method”. In this method Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) had been used for excavation of Soil and Slurry Transportation System was used to remove the soil from the tunnel to Slurry Treatment Plant.
• Brief Description of Tunnel Tube: –
  • The total length of the tunnel is 3315 meters with Open-Cut, Cut & Cover, Working shaft on both sides and two Tubes of 2450 meter length. The maximum depth of the tunnel from mean sea level is 42.60 meter. The inner and outer diameters of the tunnel are 10.80 and 11.80 meter respectively. The inside vertical clearance is 4.90 meter and maximum slope is 4 percent.
  • The main round tube is divided into upper and lower parts. In the upper part vehicle will run over the concrete slab and on the surface there are systems for lighting, air circulation and security signals. The lower parts have an emergency exit with drainage system. In addition, there are three cross passage between the two tubes after every 700 meter for emergency rescue purpose. The inner height of every cross passage is 2.7 meter. The maximum speed limit of vehicle inside the tunnel is 80 km per hour.
• Due to strong political leadership and deft economic management of Hon’ble Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina helped Bangladesh to meet all criteria for graduation out of Least Developed Country (LDC) status. Bangladesh achieved the status of Middle-Income Country crossing the lower Middle-Income threshold in 2015 and achieved a decade of 7 percent average GDP growth. After the opening of “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel” the Financial & Economic IRR will be respectively 6.19% & 12.49% and the Financial & Economic “Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR)” will be respectively 1.05 & 1.50. Moreover, it will accelerate the GDP growth rate of near about 0.166%. Due to the construction of “Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Tunnel” the dream of “Golden Bengal” of Bangabandhu will move one step ahead and the macro economy of Bangladesh will be accelerated.
• Narrator: Bridges Division, Ministry of Road Transport & Bridges.
  

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Issued by India

Issued on Aug 17, 2007

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a set of four commemorative postage stamps on the “Landmark Bridges in India”.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : Brahm Prakash
Cancellation : Nenu Gupta

Type : Miniature Sheet, Mint Condition

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 500 Paise each

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million each

Miniature Sheet : 0.4 Million

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nasik

About : 

• When man first walked the earth he relied on himself, his own two legs and feet, for transportation. Eventually man learned to tame wild animals and used them for transportation. And finally he created machines to take him places he could not reach on his own or with the assistance of any animal. Indeed, one invention developed to expand the reach of travellers was the bridge. The earliest bridges are based on natural formations, such as fallen trees and rocks to cross over water bodies or other charms. Man-made bridges were developed to provide a safe crossing for people, originally on foot but later on horse-back, and then for mechanised transportation, to travel from one prominent place to another.
• While bridges are integral to transportation systems today, some of the bridges synthesizing designing and engineering skills stand as inspiring monuments, and some have acquired iconic and legendary status in the public psyche.
• In bringing out a set of four commemorative postage stamps on “Landmark Bridges in India”, the Department of Post has tried to showcase four such bridges in the country. The bridges featured are :–
• Mahatma Gandhi Setu :
  • Mahatma Gandhi Setu, located at Patna, Bihar, is popularly known simply as Ganga Bridge. It stands at the place where Mahatma Gandhi crossed the river long back to go to Champaran, where he laid foundations of struggle that was to dislodge British, and hence the name.
  • Opened to traffic on 02.03.82 by the then Prime Minister, late Smt. Indira Gandhi, this is the longest single river bridge in the world.
  • The bridge consists of 45 intermediate spans of 121.065 meters each, and two end spans of 63.53 meters each, having a total length of 5,565 meters. The superstructure of the bridge is a pre-stressed cantilever construction.
  • The completion of the Mahatma Gandhi Setu marks a milestone in the history of the economic development of Bihar.
• Vidyasagar Setu :
  • The modern cable bridge known as Vidyasagar Setu lies across the river Hooghly. Affording a panoramic view of the skyline of Kolkata, it itself contributes to the grandeur of the city’s new skyline. Better known locally as the second Hooghly Bridge, built to provide an additional connector between the twin cities of Kolkata and Howrah. Apart from Howrah Bridge, Vidyasagar Setu is 823 meters long, and 35 meters wide. Supported on four foundations, the height of the steel pylons over pillars is 120 meters. With a 4% longitudinal gradient, the bridge provides navigational clearance of 33.87 meter to 34.38 meter over the highest level to ensure safe passage underneath, of the international cargo ships, which cater to Kolkata Port. The bridge has also been connected with flyovers and ramps on either side to provide uninterrupted flow of traffic from both, the Kolkata and Howrah ends.
  • This unique and longest cable stayed bridge, constructed at a cost of Rs. 380 crores, was thrown open to the nation by the honourable Prime Minister of India on 10^th October 1992.
• Howrah Bridge :
  • The famous Howrah Bridge is one of the best known landmarks of Kolkata, a virtual ‘Gateway of Kolkata’, and an inseparable icon of the city, sharing a totemic relationship with its growth and evolution.
  • The construction of a new ‘Suspension type balanced Cantilever Bridge’, without any intermediate pier, was conceived after the First World War, by a Committee chaired by the famous Bengali engineer and industrialist Sir R.N. Mukherjee after taking into account the hydraulic factors and the flow pattern of the river. A technological marvel, its construction was supervised by a newly formed specialised body viz. ‘The Howrah Bridge Commissioners’. Out of the 26,500 tonnes of steel used, around 3000 tonnes were imported and the rest was indigenously sourced through TISCO. The Bridge was opened to traffic in February, 1943, dismantling the earlier floating bridge. It was renamed as “Rabindra Setu” on 14^th June, 1965, but continues to be referred to as Howrah Bridge in the popular lexicon.
  • A suspension type balanced cantilever bridge, this is the fourth cantilever bridge in the world, with a central span of 1500 ft. between the centres of its main towers. Its anchor arms are 325 ft. long and the cantilever arms 468 ft. long at both ends, while the middle suspended span is 564 ft. The main towers soar 280 ft. high above the monoliths and are 76 ft. apart at the top. The bridge deck width is 71 ft. with two footpaths of 15 ft. on either side.
• Pamban Setu :
  • Opened to traffic in 1914, the Pamban Bridge, also known as the Pamban Viaduct, forms part of the Rameswaram meter gauge section in Madurai division of the Southern Railways. Constructed over 100 to 300 feet wide reef lying submerged between the mainland of India and the Island of Rameswaram, this bridge was built over the Palk Straits to reduce the gap in the rail systems between India and Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). The distance of 36 kms between Dhanushkodi, off Rameswaram Island, and Talaimannar, the railway terminus of Sri Lanka, was linked by ferry service, and direct rail cum ferry journey tickets were issued at both ends.
  • 2.06 kms long, the Pamban Bridge has 146 span of 40 feet clear, including one Scherzer lift span, which measure 213 feet, and remains a marvel of technology and a visual treat.
• Text : Based on material provided by the concerned Circles.

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Issued by India

Issued on Nov 7, 2003

Issued for : The year 2003 marks the bicentenary year of the raising of the Regiment and the Department of Posts commemorates this occasion through the issue of a postage stamp that features the legendary Madhumati Bridge.

Credits :
Stamp : Monika Khanna Gulati
FDC : Alka Sharma; Based on material received from the sponsor.
Cancellation : Alka Sharma

Type : Stamp, Mint condition

Colour : Multi Colour

Denomination : 500 Paise

Overall size : 3.911 x 2.895 Cms.

Printing size : 3.561 x 2.545 Cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported un w/m Adhesive Gravure Coated stamp paper in Sheets 50.8 x 53.5 Cms.

Stamps Printed : 0.8 Million

Number of Stamps per sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printer : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• The Bengal Engineer Group was raised at Allahabad in 1803 as the Corps of Bengal Pioneers forming part of the Bengal Presidency Army. In 1819, the Bengal Pioneers were renamed as the Bengal Sappers and Miners. Their headquarters are located at Roorkee, Uttaranchal and they are popularly known as ‘Roorkee Safar Maina‘ and ‘God’s Own‘.
• The Bengal Engineer Group is one of the three groups that comprise the Corps of Engineers, a combat arm of the Indian Army. Being equipped with versatile and sophisticated bridging and mining equipment, their core job is to provide mobility to our own forces while denying the same to the enemy. The Bengal Sappers have also fought as Infantry whenever duty beckoned, thus, truly living up to their motto ‘SARVATRA’, signifying their omnipresence in the battlefield.
• The Regiment has participated in all major campaigns of the Bengal Army of the East India Company, the British Indian Army and all operations after Independence right from the Jammu & Kashmir operation in 1948 to the Kargil conflict in 1999. Among their notable feats are the construction of the airfield at Daulat Beg Oldi in 1962, the construction of Hajipur Road during the 1965 operations and the construction of the Naya Chhor track during the 1971 war. However, it was in the construction of the Madhumati Bridge that their technical finesse manifested itself in ample measure. This bridge, constructed in East Pakistan, was the longest bridge ever to be built by Sappers anywhere after the Second World War. The 58 Engineer Regiment of the Bengal Sappers provided support to the nuclear tests at Pokhran during Operation Shakti in 1998.
• The Bengal Sappers have been handsomely decorated having won 80 Battle Honours and 11 Theatre Honours. In fact, the 13^th Battalion of the Bengal Sappers have the distinction of being awarded the first ever Indian Order of Merit for their gallant conduct in the storming of the Ghuznee Fort at Kabul in 1839. They have been presented the Regimental Colours by Shri R. Venkataraman, the then President of India, on 12 January, 1989.
• Another aspect of this multi-faceted Regiment that has won them laurels is their acumen in sports and adventure, particularly in mountaineering and sailing. Nine Arjuna Awards, Twenty Six International Gold Medals and three hundred & thirteen National Golds bear testimony to their sporting skills.
• Text : Based on material received from the sponsor.

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Issued by India

Issued on May 1, 1998

Issued for : The Department of Posts feels privileged to issue this special commemorative stamp on the occasion of dedication of the Konkan Railway to the Nation.

Credits :
Stamp & FDC : J.P. Irani
Cancellation : Alka Sharma
Brochure : Based on the material supplied by Konkan Railway Corporation.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Multicolour

Denomination : 800 Paise

Overall size : 3.50 x 7.00 cms.

Printing size : 3.50 x 7.00 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported un w/m Adhesive Gravure Coated stamp paper in Sheet 50.8 x 53.5 cms.

Stamps Printed : 0.7 Million

Number per issue sheet : 12

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printers : India Security Press, Nashik

About : 

• It was in 1882 that the first plans were made to link the picturesque western coast of India with a railway line. But the formidable Sahyadri Mountains, the innumerable creeks and rivers proved too great a challenge at that time.
• The railway system had begun just a few decades earlier. The first railway line on the Indian sub-continent, from Bori Bunder to Thane – a distance of 21 miles had been opened to traffic on April 16, 1853. Since then, it had grown to a total of 62,915 route kilometres. However, on the western coastline of the country, there was a crucial missing link.
• In 1984, more than a century after the first tentative survey, fresh plans are drawn up for a railway along this route. The survey was conducted over four years, upto 1988, and the Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd., (A Government of India Undertaking) was set up with Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka and Kerala in 1990 under the Build, Operate and Transfer (BOT) principle.
• It was a formidable task. The terrain through which the line traverses is the most difficult encountered in the history of railway construction. Crossing the route involved building 92 tunnels, 179 major bridges, 2,819 minor bridges and 59 stations. There were some long tunnels – the tunnel in Karbude (Ratnagiri) is 6.5 kms in length, the longest in the Indian Railway System. Some tall viaducts also needed to be built, such as the one in the Panval Nadi valley in Ratnagiri, the tallest bridge in Asia. It stands at a height of 64 metres, surpassing even the height of Qutub Minar. The construction was finally completed on January 26, 1998 in the Golden Jubilee year of Indian Independence.
• The building of the Konkan Railway system succeeded in a whole host of technological innovations. The long tunnels have been designed with ballast-less tracks, to ensure a smooth ride and reduce noise, apart from making it maintenance free. The deck of the Panval Nadi Bridge consists of a single continuous pre-stressed concrete box girder, manufactured and pushed from one end by the incremental launching system. The 423.25 metre long continuous box girder, weighing 4,400 tonnes, was pushed from one end, using a force of a mere 715 tonnes over temporary bearings provided with Teflon lubricating pads mounted on each pier. The piers are octagonal in shape and hollow inside, designed to withstand the highest seismic forces.
• The Konkan Railway has the distinction of trying this technology for the first time in India, and its success was acknowledged by two prestigious awards – Most Outstanding Concrete Structure of India Award for 1994, from the American Concrete Institute (ACI), and the National Award for the Most Outstanding Bridge in 1995, from the Indian Institute of Bridge Engineers.
• Over the years, the Konkan Railway will spur economic growth in a region that has been handicapped by a lack of infrastructure, despite rich mineral and agricultural resources. The journey on the fast track to progress has just begun.
• Text : Based on the material supplied by Konkan Railway Corporation.

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Issued by India

Issued on Apr 14, 1987

Issued for : The Department of Posts is happy to issue a special stamp on Kalia Bhomora Bridge, Assam.

Description of Design : The 200p multicolour stamp has been designed by India Security Press, Nashik Road and shows an over view of the Kalia Bhomora Bridge across the Brahmaputra river in Tezpur. The cancellation has been designed by Miss Nenu Bagga and Mrs. Alka Sharma.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 200 Paise

Overall size : 3.91 x 2.90 cms.

Printing size : 3.55 x 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Paper : Imported unwatermarked Adhesive Gr. coated stamp paper

Number Printed : 15,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Printed at : India Security Press

About : 

• KALIA BHOMORA ROAD BRIDGE named after the illustrious Ahom General across river Brahmaputra at Tezpur is a legendary land mark in the process of development of North East Region of the country. The river Brahmaputra; one of the five mighty rivers of the world always fascinated bridge engineers; and has remained a technical challenge for decades due to its ferocity and magnitude alongwith most unpredictable behaviour. The first ever bridge across the Brahmaputra was constructed by the Indian Railways in 1962 at Saraighat near Guwahati. Incidentally, the second bridge is also being constructed by Indian Railways on behalf of the North Eastern Council.
• The bridge forms a part of the total scheme of providing a 23 km long link between National Highways, 52 on North Bank and National Highway, 37 on South Bank.
• The need for a second bridge across the Brahmaputra on its course of 920 kms in India was long felt from socio-economic considerations of the North Eastern States which remain connected with the rest of the country only through the existing bridge at Saraighat. The North Eastern Council – an agency under the Ministry of Home Affairs, Govt. of India sponsored the project in November 1975. After detailed studies, the project was finally commissioned in March 1979 by awarding the prestigious construction of 3 km long bridge alongwith a massive guide bund of 2 km including 1.7 km river approach to Indian Railways – in recognition of the technical excellence of Railways in bridging all the major rivers of the country.
• The N.F. Railways Construction Organisation took up this challenging task and physical work on the bridge started in October 1981. The bridge is being completed in a record time of 64 months by working against all odds. It required preparations on war footing for developing infra-structure and meticulous engineering planning in organising the works as the river Brahmaputra remains in floods from the month of April to October leaving a shorter working period as compared to the other major rivers of the country.
• The cost of the entire scheme works out to Rs. 89 crores.
• The work has involved the use of latest construction technology and necessitated the large scale mobilisation of plants and machineries worth Rs. 20 crores, alongwith a strong work force of 6000 men working round the clock in adverse weather conditions.
• The project once opened to the traffic will work as an active catalyst in accelerating the process of the development of North Eastern States.
• KALIA BHOMORA after whom the bridge has been named was a prominent figure of the 18^th century in the history of Assam. He was appointed as an autonomous Governor, called Bar Phukan in Guwahati. He fought several battles to crush rebellions against the Ahom Kings. He organised and trained armies to a high level of war skill. Apart from being an efficient General and an able administrator Kalia Bhomora made outstanding contribution to religion and public welfare. He had conceived a plan to build a bridge across the river Brahmaputra at Bhomoraguri, near Tezpur. He made advanced preparations for the actual construction of this bridge, but unfortunately he died before the commencement of work on the bridge. Even today large sal wood logs and other material for the construction of the bridge can be found in this area.
• The site of the modern bridge being inaugurated today is the same as that chosen by Kalia Bhomora.

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Issued by Australia

Issued on Sep 27, 1982

Issued for : National Stamp Week, celebrated in 1982 from 27 September to 3 October, is commemorated every second year with a stamp issue.

Design :  As 1982 was the 50^th anniversary of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the ‘5/- bridge stamp’, as it is popularly known, was chosen for reproduction on the National Stamp Week issue.

Designed by : Cato Hibberd [After graduating from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Mr Ken Cato served a brief apprenticeship with a design studio. In 1970 he met Mr Terry Hibberd, then an art director for a publishing house, and together they formed Cato Hibberd Design Pty Ltd, Their successful twelve year partnership ended in July 1982, when Mr Cato formed his own company, Ken Cato Design Co. Cato Hibberd‘s previous stamp designs for Australia Post are the 3d blue kookaburra miniature sheet for National Stamp Week 1978, ‘Opening of the High Court Building, Canberra‘, and ’50^th Anniversary First Official Air Mail Australia – UK 1931/81′. In 1982 Cato Hibberd was responsible for the ‘50^th Anniversary of the ABC 1982‘ and ‘National Stamp Week 1982’ stamp designs.]

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Multi colour

Denomination : 27 Cents

Stamp size : 37.5 mm x 26 mm

Perforation : 13¼ x 13

Paper : APWH stamp paper

Sheet content : 100 (issued)

Printing process : photolithography on a five–colour Heidelberg Speedmaster press

Printer : Cambec Press, Melbourne

About : 

• The first Australian National Stamp Week was held in 1974 to mark the centenary of the Universal Postal Union, following a meeting of representatives of Victorian stamp dealers and philatelic societies. A small exhibition was held in Melbourne, organised by the newly formed National Stamp Promotion Council (Victoria).
• The success of the inaugural National Stamp Week prompted the organisers to hold a meeting of interstate representatives of interested parties. At the meeting, hosted by the Australian Post Office, the decision was made to establish an Australian Stamp Promotion Council, and the format was devised on which the now annual National Stamp Week is based. The Australian Stamp Promotion Council promotes activities during National Stamp Week to publicise stamp collecting, and to gain revenue from the sale of philatelic items which is then used for the further promotion of philately. Every second year a national philatelic exhibition is held in one of the capital cities. The first such exhibition was Sydpex ’80, held in Sydney in 1980. Anpex ’82 was held in Brisbane from 11 to 17 October 1982, following the closing of the Commonwealth Games.
• Three stamps were issued by the Postmaster-General’s Department on 14 March 1932 to commemorate the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The denominations of the stamps were 2d (red), 3d (blue) and 5/- (green). The 5/- bridge stamp is now one of Australia‘s most popular stamps, considered by collectors to be an essential acquisition. A sheet of 20 stamps was photographed in order to show the original perforations on the 1982 stamp. One stamp area is shown intact together with sections of eight others on the sheet. The illustration areas were painted out and a single 5/- bridge stamp was photographed, reduced in size, and superimposed on the intact illustration area.
• The view of the bridge depicted on the original stamp is from the southern side of the harbour, and closely approximates a drawing inscribed J. J. C. Bradfield, Dr. Sc. Eng., M. lnst. C. E., Chief Engineer, Sydney Harbour Bridge, and Dorman, Long & Company Ltd, Contractors, Middlesbrough, England. Photographs, drawings and plans of the partially completed bridge were also used for reference purposes. The inclusion of the passenger liner RMS ‘Orford’ passing under the bridge gives some idea of the huge dimensions of the structure. The designs were prepared by R. A. Harrison, of the Note Printing Branch, and the letterpress and recess dies were engraved by F. D. Manley.
• The ‘deep green’ 5/- stamp was recess-printed and issued in sheets of 20 on unwatermarked paper (perf. 11). Only one plate was prepared, comprising 80 impressions divided into four groups of 20, in four horizontal rows of five. The Ash imprint appeared in the centre of the bottom margin. A total of 72,800 5/- stamps were issued.
• Post Offices were set up in the pylons on 19 March 1932, the day of the opening of the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Letters posted on the bridge during the two weeks in which the post offices remained in operation bore a special postmark: a square cancellation inscribed ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge, NSW‘ round the four sides with the date in three lines in the centre; together with an oblong cancellation inscribed ‘Posted On Bridge – During Opening – Celebration’ in three lines. Registered letters were postmarked with a circular cancellation inscribed ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge, SE Pylon’ or ‘Sydney Harbour Bridge, NE Pylon’, depending on which side of the Bridge the letter was posted.
• It is of interest to note that soon after the issuing of the Sydney Harbour Bridge commemorative stamp, the 5^th Australasian Philatelic Exhibition was held in Sydney, from 22 March to 1 April 1932. The Exhibition was held in the Blaxland Galleries, and an estimated 10,000 people inspected over 300 exhibits. A special souvenir envelope was sold at the Exhibition, bearing the new Sydney Harbour Bridge stamps.

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Issued by United States of America

Issued on Aug 4, 1977

Design : This U.S. 13¢ stamp commemorating the 50^th anniversary of the Peace Bridge was designed by Bernard Brussel–Smith of Bedford Hills, New York.

A U.S. 3¢ stamp depicting an old U.S.-Canada Bridge known as the Niagara Railway Suspension Bridge was issued in 1948 to commemorate friendship between the two great nations. A 5₡ stamp depicting a bridge at Niagara Falls was issued in conjunction with the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo in 1901. Thus, three stamps featuring bridges over the Niagara commemorate ties between Americans and their friends to the north.

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 13 cents

About : 

• Canada and the United States began their relationship as deadly enemies. During the American Revolution, Britain’s General Burgoyne swept down from Quebec with an army intent upon splitting the 13 original colonies in two.
• The War of 1812 brought much fighting along the Niagara River, which separates parts of Ontario and New York State. The Americans captured Fort Erie on the Canadian side, and the Canadians burned Buffalo on the American side. Peace returned to the Niagara with the Treaty of Ghent in 1814 and has remained unbroken except for a few relatively minor 19^th century incidents.
• On June 27, 1927, a steel bridge stretching 4,400 feet from Canada’s Fort Erie to Buffalo’s Fort Potter was opened for vehicular traffic. In August of that year, the international bridge was officially dedicated and named the Peace Bridge as a memorial to more than a century of U.S.-Canadian peace.
• By 1950 the Peace Bridge had become the most important artery between the United States and Canada, in both volume of traffic and value of goods transported across the border. It is a vital link between two of the world’s largest countries (Canada 3,851,809 square miles; United States 3,615,122 square miles). Vast numbers of the 214.5 million Americans and the 23 million Canadians cross the border to visit each other. A more basic tie than tourism is $40 billion per year of U.S.-Canada trade, with the United States buying 35% of Canada’s products and Canada buying 2% of U.S. goods. Huge investments in corporations across the border comprise another strong U.S.-Canada tie.

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Issued by Japan

Issued on Nov 14, 1973

Issued for : Commemorating the opening of the Kan-Mon Suspension Bridge which connects Honshu and Kynshu, a special postage stamp is coming out. This bridge, completed with a total cost of about 30,000,000,000 yen and a time of 5 years and 6 months, has the overall length of 1,068 meters.

Design : Kan–Mon Suspension Bridge

Designer : Mr. Saburo Watanabe

Colour : Multicolour

Type : Stamp, Postal Used

Denomination : 20 Yen

Printing Process : Engraved

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Issued by India

Issued on Oct 17, 1970

Issued for : The Posts and Telegraphs Department is proud to be associated with such a saga of growth and phenomenal development by issue of a special commemorative stamp on the occasion of the centenary of Calcutta Port Commissioners.

Description of Design : The design of the stamp is horizontal and depicts a picture of a Dredger’ Pilot Vessel and cranes at Calcutta Port with the crest of the Port Commissioners Calcutta. Howrah Bridge over the River Hooghly is shown in the background.

Type : Stamp, Mint Condition

Colour : Peacock Blue 

Denomination : 20 Paise

Overall Size : 3.91 X 2.90 cms.

Printing Size : 3.56 X 2.54 cms.

Perforation : 13 x 13

Watermark : Printed on unwatermarked adhesive stamp paper

Number Printed : 30,00,000

Number per issue sheet : 35

Printing Process : Photogravure

Designed and Printed at : India Security Press

About : 

• The origin and growth of Calcutta, the first city in the country, is intimately connected with the development of Calcutta Port. It would be true to say that the city grew out of the port. It had its beginning in the 17^th century when the rich and profitable trade with Bengal attracted foreign adventures. It was Job Charnock, the English Agent of the East India Company who chose the present site of Calcutta, 125 miles from the sea, and built the English Settlement here around 1690 with the permission of the then Moghul Emperor, Aurangzeb. The port and the city of Calcutta grew out of these settlements along the left bank of River Hooghly. However, the transition of Calcutta into a modern port really began in the second half of the last century.
• It is now the premier port on the Eastern Coast of the country handling the largest volume of dry cargo.
• The port commands a vast hinterland of about half a million square miles, comprising the States of West Bengal, Assam, Bihar, Orissa, almost the whole of Uttar Pradesh, a part of Madhya Pradesh and also the neighbouring countries of Nepal, Sikkim and Bhutan. This region is rich in agricultural, mineral and industrial resources.
• The Port of Calcutta which is sited 126 nautical miles away from the sea, presents difficult navigational problems. There are several sand bars and sharp bends in the river which ships have to negotiate.
• The channel is dredged constantly and is well marked with numerous navigational aids to facilitate navigation – both by day and night. Pilotage of ships on this river is compulsory.
• The affairs of the port are managed by a statutory body constituted under the terms of Act V of 1870, later consolidated under the Calcutta Port Act, 1890, and known as “The Commissioners for the Port of Calcutta” It is composed of 24 official and non-official members representing the principal chambers of commerce in the city of Calcutta, customs, railways, Corporation of Calcutta, Howrah Municipality, the Government of West Bengal, Indian Steamship Owner’s Association and the labour employed in the Port. The Chairman and the Deputy Chairman are appointed by the Government of India. The Chairman is the executive head of the Commission.
• In the early years, the ships were anchored in the river and there were no proper shore facilities for them to come alongside for loading or discharging their cargo. Between the years 1850 and 1870, to meet the needs of shipping, four screw pile jetties with cranes and sheds were constructed. The modern Port of Calcutta with its extensive facilities grew out of this humble beginning.
• At present, it provides 34 alongside berths in the Kidderpore Docks and the King George‘s Dockand there exists further provision for 46 ships to work in the river side moorings. There are also eight jetties available at Budge Budge, 11 miles below Calcutta for handling of oil. In addition, there are five Dry Docks for ship repairs in the Port. All these developments took place over a period of last hundred years.
• The final phase of port development started after Independence. The total expenditure on development incurred during the First, Second and the Third Five-Year Plan periods amounts to Rs. 46 crores. As a result, the execution of these development plans, the Port is now equipped to handle about 14 million tonnes of cargo every year. The estimated outlay on projects included in the Fourth Five-Year Plan for the development of the Port is of the order of Rs. 25 crores.
• The number of vessels which enter and leave this port in a year is round about 1800. About 40% of the total value of exports from the country and 28% of the total value of imports into the country pass through this port. Exports roughly account for 5 million tonnes, and imports 6 million tonnes. The revenue of the Port now amounts to about Rs. 26 crores per year.
• The Port provides about 48 lakhs square feet of ware housing accommodation for storage of cargo by the users of the Port. Besides, the Port has its own railway system with a track mileage of 350 kilometres and route mileage of 36 kilometres.
• The Port of Calcutta, like any other modern international port, has had to face the challenge thrown up by the increasing size of ships, particularly tankers and bulk carriers. It is necessary to provide deep draught berths for such ships and also fast mechanical equipment for loading and unloading them. The Calcutta Port Commissioners have accordingly undertaken the Haldia Dock Project at Haldia about 56 miles down-stream of Calcutta. This is being developed as a subsidiary port of Calcutta.
• Thus, while the first century of the Calcutta Port Commissioners’ life marks the development and growth of the Port of Calcutta from four screw pile jetties into a vast modern port complex, the second century is expected to usher in an era of far-greater prosperity.

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