Commitment for a bridge over river Manas remains unfulfilled

Our Correspondent | Published: September 12, 2014 00:00:00 | Updated: November 30, 2026 06:01:00

RANGPUR, Sept 11: About 40 thousand people of Purbo Jagjibon village under Pirgachha upazila in Rangpur district have been suffering a lot for about forty years due to lack of a permanent bridge over the river Manas.
Sources said, the people of the village have been suffering for long, as this village is almost disconnected from upazila headquarters for not having a permanent concrete bridge over the river.
As people cannot travel between the upazila headquarters and other places by crossing the river without any difficulty, educational, business and public health services are seriously being hampered in the area.
Traders and farmers often incur huge losses as they face problems in carrying their products to markets timely. The buyers also face problems to reach the village markets with their transports to purchase agricultural products because of lack of a bridge over the river. Local people alleged the successive local government authorities failed to erect a bridge over the river though they made pledges several times. Whenever election comes closer candidates woo voters assuring them of constructing a bridge over the river but once it is over the elected representative becomes oblivious to the commitment, they further said.
Finding no other alternative, the local people voluntarily constructed a bamboo bridge over the river to ease the communication problem. Everyday thousands of people use the bamboo structure risking their lives as a portion of the bridge has already broken and it swings while they move on it. Children and elderly people are the worst sufferers as the swinging bamboo structure has no railing for safety of the vulnerable people. Serious accident may occur any time, locals apprehended.
During election campaigns the local political leaders make repeated pledges to build a bridge over the river but they forget about it once elected public representative, Motaleb Miah of the village said.