A bailey bridge that turns into a death-trap in Jhenidah

JHENIDAH, Sept 15: Thousands of people are to pass through a bailey bridge over the Kumar River risking their lives at Baroipara under Shailkupa upazila in Jhenidah, as the railings and many nut and bolts of the iron-structure are missing, and some vital deck plates have got twisted out of shape.
Constructed by Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in 1994, the lone bridge linking three unions of the upazila with Jhenidah district headquarter has been risky for people causing immense suffering to them. At present, LGED, Jhenidah is responsible for repairing of the 100-metre iron bridge.
Assistant Inspector of upazila Co-operative Society Abu Arif Reza told the Financial Express, "I regularly go through the venturesome bailey bridge on the way to my office taking my life at hands. Fatal accidents may happen any time on the bridge that is badly in need of an immediate repair."
Local people said when hartals and blockades are enforced, a huge number of vehicles, including buses and overloaded trucks ply over the bridge making it riskier.
Many cow-loaded vehicles go to Tamaltala and Kachua animals market under Shailkupa upazila and Kumarkhali market of Kushtia district at risks, the locals added.
One Azad Loskar (76) of Asthali village of the upazila received serious injuries when he slipped into the river from over the bridge while going though it in the rainy season four years back. Since then he has been confined to bed, said Kamal Hossain of the village.
Some passengers said one of the two bulls carrying a cart loaded with agriculture produce fell into the river water about four months ago when a bi-cycle was overtaking the cart.
Some shopkeepers at Baroipara intersection said a few months ago one motorcyclist slipped down the bridge with the cycle and got hurt. Accidents are a regular phenomenon on the bridge, they added.
Shofi Uddin of Gokulnagor village on the bank of the river said around two hundred students go to the different educational institutions regularly in the morning passing through the narrow bride that turned very risky.
Villagers said, "Although the bridge over which vehicles travel for 24 hours, is in an awfully bad condition, the authorities have not yet taken any step for its permanent repair."
Locals told this correspondent that the GI pipe railing can be prevented from being stolen if they are wielded with truss of the bridge.