25,000 villagers suffer for want of a concrete bridge

Absence of a concrete bridge over the Dhum River in Haragachh Sarai area of Kaunia upazila under Rangpur district have mounted sufferings for around 25,000 villagers.
Meanwhile, road communication for about 0.1 million (one lakh) inhabitants of a vast area covering several unions has been snapped as an approach road to a bridge in Jagannathpur upazila of Sunamganj collapsed recently.
Our Correspondent from Rangpur says, finding no other option, local people voluntarily constructed a bamboo bridge over the river to mitigate their sufferings.
Every day, several thousand people have to cross the bamboo-made structure risking their lives, as the bridge swings while they move on it.
Elderly people, children and patients have to face much trouble while crossing the bamboo bridge, locals said.
Locals said a good number of people fell off from the shaky bridge and got injured in recent times.
Serious accidents may occur anytime if the situation continues for long, they apprehended.
Students of different schools and colleges, especially children, are at risk, as they have to go to and from their institutions using the bamboo bridge.
Many of them become reluctant to go to their educational institutions during rainy season for fear of accidents on the bridge.
"Movement over the bridge becomes hazardous during the rainy season. The bamboo structure becomes slippery and we cannot cross it without difficulties. Sometimes bamboos get damaged, yet we are bound to cross the bridge every day," said Helal Mia, a villager.
A number of traders living on the banks of the river told The Financial Express that they face much difficulties in running their business activities due to lack of a permanent bridge.
Many farmers of the area said that most of the times they become deprived of fair prices of their produces due to lack of marketing facilities caused by the absence of a permanent bridge there.
As a result, they have to incur huge financial losses.
During the time of election campaigns, local political leaders make repeated pledges to erect a concrete bridge over the river, but they become oblivious of it once elected public representatives, locals lamented.
In this situation, locals laid emphasis on taking necessary steps to build a permanent bridge over the river so that they can get rid of their sufferings.
Ashraful Islam, chairman, Sarai Union Parishad, said that proposals have been sent to the authorities concerned several times for constructing a concrete bridge over the river in the area. But the authorities are yet to take any steps in this regard, he added.
Our Sylhet correspondent reports: The Jagannathpur-Shibganj-Begumpur road plays an important role in the rural communication of about 0. 1 million (one lakh) people of three unions-Raniganj, Pailgaon and Syedpur. Besides, locals use the road via Begumpur for traveling to and from the capital. Due to the sudden collapse of the approach road to the bridge, their sufferings have gone up. The people were now using vehicles from both the ends separately.
A number of inhabitants of the upazila headquarters said that for fishing in a nearby water body some people we're using large water pumps on Sunday night; it has probably caused the collapse (of the approach road).
Upazila Engineer of LGED, Jagannathpur Sohrab Hossain confirmed the collapse of the approach road and said measures were being taken for necessary repair.

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