A bridge without approach road near Gazaria Shelter Project at Gazaria union under Fulchhari upazila of Gaibandha (left) and a partial view of the unused bridge on the Rokti river in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj — FE Photos 
SYLHET, Dec 07: An important bridge, built on the river Rokti in Jamalganj upazila of Sunamganj has been lying unused for two years as the authority failed to complete the construction of its approaches for various reasons.
Inhabitants of neighbouring villages, including the 25 in Sachna bazar union are the worst sufferers, especially during the monsoon.
The branch of Surma river Rokti, which in hilly stream passes through the Sachnabazar union had been a cause of sufferings for the huge people around, especially during the monsoon.
LGED started the project in 2014 and completed the bridge two years ago but failed to complete the approaches as yet. However, they claimed things would be done in a year as there are preparations for that. Especially the inhabitants of the 13 villages on the north bank were the most hopeful of a major development on completion of the approaches.
By now it gives no benefit at all although the bridge was completed two years ago, said Anwar Maih of Sachnabazar. The small ferry used by the locals doesn't operate after evening. This is why people can't return home at night from bazaars and other places.
The works were suspended several occasions for unknown reasons, alleged a number of locals. We are afraid whether the works would be completed in years, said Sachnabazar Union Parishad member Mizanur Rahman. Bridge is there, but people still have to use the ferry to cross the river, he added.
An official informed the Taka 481 million bridge works were started in 2014 and was completed in 2018. On technical reasons, the approach design had to be amended after construction of the bridge. The approach works worth the 80 million had been awarded to a different contractor recently.
Upazila Engineer Abdus Sattar said repeated and four times floods this year had badly affected the approach works. Things had started recently as a new contractor had been appointed, he added, we hope by June or July 2021 things would be completed. Change of its drawing and design along with the Covid 19 crisis had added new troubles for the project, the official claimed.
In Gaibandha, Approach roads of two bridges at Gazaria union under Fulchhariupazila of Gaibandha washed away by impact of flood's stream, causing untold suffering to thousands of commuters.
Meanwhile, the locals are angry that no one has come forward to alleviate the daily suffering of the people though they seek immediate renovation of connecting road with bridges.
Due to the construction of the approach road with the sand of the river, the connecting road on both sides of the bridge collapsed as the flow of the Brahminputra river was coming down from the upper reaches.
On the other hand, the locals claim that the roads on both sides of the bridge are in this condition as influential peopleuse dredgers to extract sand from the side of the bridge.
The people of the area mostly depend on agriculture round the year. They are growing different sorts of winter vegetables this current season but they couldn't get opportunity to sell them as roads of the bridges havesdisappeared.
They are to pay extra money to bring their produces to haat and bazar by alternative distant way. Within six months of construction, the connecting road was washed away by the floodwaters.
Upazila administration office sources said a 20-meter long bridge nearby Gazaria Shelter Project costing approximately Tk 2 million and a 40 -meter- long bridge nearby north of Nilkuthi HBB Road costing over Tk 3 million have been constructed under the supervision of Department of Roads and highways and Upazila Disaster Managementin 2017 to for smooth communication of commuters.
The connecting road to the bridge was not repaired even after two years. As a result, more than three and a half hundred families from the surrounding villages, including 90 families from the project area are having difficulty in travelling to the mainland.
They complained that no vehicles or people could pass through the bridges as the approach road was not ready and the two bridges are useless.
A collage teacher Osman Ghany of the area said the connecting road on both sides are washed away by floods every year since the approach roads of the bridge were built with sands. He also said, school and college-going students in particular suffer a lot. But neither the bridge nor the road has been repaired yet.
Local people alleged that the former UpazilaParishad chairman had dredged the sand from the side of the bridge, causing the soil on both sides of the bridge to washed away in the rains.The road would not have been broken if the sand had not been removed from the bridge.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Md Abu Raihan Dollon saidafter investing the matter, the renovation of two bridges would be started.
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