In Dhaka, a footbridge cradled a plane and unveiled a spectacle

The tale of the plane and the footbridge may well weave itself into the fabric of urban legend

In the heart of Dhaka, where the rhythm of life is often dictated by the ebb and flow of traffic, a scene plucked straight from a whimsical tale unfolded under the cover of night, casting a spell of wonder over the city's usual din.

As the clock struck the twilight hours from Bijoy Sarani to Mohakhali on Sunday, an unexpected guest brought the city's relentless pace to a gentle pause, much to the delight of the commuters.

Fate, with a penchant for mischief, guided a scrapped plane perched atop a sturdy trailer into a snug embrace with a footbridge outside the BAF Shaheen College.

There, amidst the concrete and the whispers of the night, the plane stood suspended, a bridge-bound behemoth, weaving a tailback of vehicles into a serpentine dance on the street below for around half an hour.

And so, in a city no stranger to the extraordinary, the tale of the plane and the footbridge wove itself into the fabric of urban legend.

A traffic policeman, standing at Jahangir Gate, bore witness to the spectacle. “A plane’s tail has stuck," he declared to the bdnews24.com correspondent with a mixture of awe and urgency before adding that efforts to free the airborne giant from its urban shackles were under way.

The scrapped plane, a blue and white Dornier 228 Turboprop, belongs to the Bangladesh Navy. It was among the two maritime patrol aircraft added to the Navy’s fleet of planes in 2013.

Some parts of the plane were already detached. The destination of the plane could not be confirmed.

Workers brought a forklift and dismantled the tail as well to let the trailer move.

Traffic policemen already made way for vehicles to move through one lane. The trailer carried the plane towards Mohakhali around 10:30pm.

With the night air filled with the buzz of curiosity and the glow of smartphone screens, the city's inhabitants gathered, drawn by the spectacle of seeing a guardian of the skies tethered to their world.

The onlookers did not want to miss out and took pictures of the plane.

“Stuck for half an hour. People are delighted to see a plane on the street,” said Md Wahid, a security guard of Shaheen College.