NETRAKONA, Sept 04: Students from two villages in Kendua upazila have long been facing trouble commuting to school as they have to cross a fragile bamboo bridge over a river every day.
Students aged between six and 12 are forced to cross the river named Suti , which flows through Rajnagar village at Amtala Royal Bari union in Kendua upazila of Netrakona.
Every day students aged between six and 12 from Rajnagar and Royalbari villages are crossing the bridge with their school bags and notebooks, risking their lives.
Locals said the bamboo-made light bridge may collapse anytime, causing serious accident.
Common people in the area also use it. Farmers are facing difficulties in taking their produces to the local markets. As a result, they have to spend extra cost, depriving them of fair price of their agricultural products due to lack of bridge.
On behalf of the local residents, Mankanda MU Kamil Madrasa Principal AK M Mohibullah, a resident of Rajnagar village, said as there is no concrete bridge over the river, children have to use the frail bamboo bridge to come and go to Rajnagar Government Primary School.
Even during the rainy season, the sufferings of the students increase manifold. They have to go to school on rafts of banana trees or in small boats.
Local residents also said they have been demanding construction of bridge since independence of Bangladesh, but the authorities did not pay heed to them.
Once the bridge is constructed over the river, the overall activities in the area will be vibrant.
Siam, a student of class five, said his house situated on the south bank of the river is several hundred yards from the school. Even though the school is near the house, he has to cross the bridge everyday, putting his life at risk. It is often scary.
Tajul Islam, acting headmaster of Rajnagar Government Primary School, said most of the students of his school live by the riverside. Everyday, carrying school books, notebooks and bags on their backs, they have to walk on a single bamboo. For this reason, we are often very worried about small students. He strongly demanded of the government to build a bridge over this river.
Upazila Education Officer (in-charge) Taslima Begum said students should have safe communication facilities to come and go to school. The children are risking their lives to cross over the bamboo bridge, this scene is very painful to watch.
Royailbari Amtala Union Parishad Chairman Md. Lutfur Rahman Akand said residents in the area are facing troubles. We are trying to build a bridge over the river.
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