Thousands suffer for lack of a bridge in Kushtia

JHENIDAH, July 21: Hundreds of thousands of people are suffering for long due to lack of a bridge on the Gorai River at Janipur ghat under Khoksa Upazila in Kushtia.
At Talbari of Kushtia the Padma has assumed the name of the Gorai River as its branch and fallen into the Bay of Bengal through Faridpur. So fat, two bridges- one in Kushtia Sadar Upazila and another at Kamarkhali - have been made over the Gorai River. However, there is no bridge over the river between 60 kilometres for people to cross it.
If a bridge was made at Janipur ghat, a radical change in business at Khoksa bazar would happen, said Md. Bablu Ahsan, a medical practitioner.
Some Khoksa residents said that if a bridge at the ghat was constructed, students from around 100 villages could go to Islamic University at Sheikhpara through a shortcut.
Hen trader Abdur Rahman of Osmanpur village told the FE, he has to spend Tk 12,600 every year for regularly crossing the river by boat at the ghat.
Alam Sikder of Osmanpur and Sachchu of Raipur, two butchers, told this correspondent, "We need to give Tk 73,000 to the ghat-lease-holders, per annum for crossing the river by boat with cows."
Md. Ramzan Ali, a service holder from Hizlabat village said he has to pay Tk. 7,200 every year for regularly passing the river along with his motorbike.
Azhar Ali, a mason and his helper Kubayet of Romanathpur village noted they had to pay Tk 4,300 a year for passing through the Gorai at Janipur ghat.
Ansar Ali, a farmer of Azoyil village told this correspondent he recently had to give ten kgs of onion as toll to carry ten maunds of onion to Khoksa bazar by boat.
Jeweller Ayub Hossain from Debinagor village told the FE that he needs to pay Tk 15 daily to come and go to Khoksa bazar with his bi-cycle. Besides, he has to stand for long at the ghat at night waiting for a boat.
Some local people at Janipur opined if a bridge was made at Janipur-Osmanpur bazar, an easy communication would develop among Magura, Faridpur, Rajbari, Pabna and Kushtia.
Local people urged the authority concerned to address their terrible sufferings though building a bridge at Janipur ghat immediately.
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