Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Bridge

To connect Barishal city with Patuakhali, Barguna and Bhola, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated a 610-metre long bridge named Shaheed Abdur Rab Serniabat Bridge (known to local people as Dapdapia Bridge) over the Kirtonkhola river on Barishal-Kuakata route on February 22, 2011.

Everyday thousands of vehicles use this bridge. Also, many water vessels are plying under the Kirtonkhola river daily.

Problems begin for pedestrians who pass through the bridge around evenings. The bridge does not have a single lamppost that is in working condition. As such, people have to pass through the bridge in sheer darkness. The Barishal University is located very close to the bridge. Students of Barishal University, who have to cross the bridge every night or evening, often face harassments and mugging.

The darkness on the bridge also leads to hazardous accidents.

Water vessels are facing trouble because the signal lights below the bridge are also out-of-order for some time now. The bridge is also missing a safeguard pillar that broke more than two years ago.

We would like to urge the authority to take proper steps that can solve these problems as early as possible.

Ariful Islam Anu

Department of Sociology

University of Barishal

[email protected]