Bridge incomplete for months, hundreds suffer

CHANDPUR, May 29: Hundreds of people have been suffering for months as construction of a bridge over the Moghpukuria canal in the district's Kachua upazila has remained incomplete for several months.
Locals alleged that the construction work had been abandoned for around three months.
"There is no cautionary signal on both sides of the bridge. And so, road crashes often take place at night," one of the locals said.
"The approach roads on both sides of the bridge are also damaged. We cannot cross the canal smoothly since the alternative road, built just beside the bridge site has gone under water due to recent heavy rains and onrush of waters from upper regions," he added.
The bridge, connecting Palakhal union and Aliara village, is being implemented by the Kachua unit of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) with Tk 1.7 million.
A construction firm owned by Md Kamal Hossain got the work order to construct the bridge.
Kachua Upazila Engineer Abdul Alim Lyton said, "The work began in February, 2022. After completing the base work, the contractor left the work abandoned for the last two months."
"Now we have directed the contractor to finish the remaining work (top slab and related work) of the bridge as quickly as possible for the sake of the suffering people," he added.
The engineer also said the contractor is now showing reluctance to resume the remaining work due to the recent hike of construction materials' price.
He, however, is hopeful of completing the bridge soon.

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