A bamboo bridge over the Khajanchi River, the lone means of crossing the river for several thousand residents of 20 villages in Bishwanath upazila, collapsed recently, intensifying their communications woes.
Locals said they built the bridge on the south side of Khajanchi union near Ashuganj Bazar in Rampasha with their own fund union as there is no concrete bridge over the river.
The residents 20 villages of Khajanchi and Rampasha unions, including students, had been using the risky bamboo bridge for reaching their destinations but it crashed on June 27, disrupting communications between the upazila headquarters and the villages.
During a recent visit to the area, the UNB correspondent found that the people of Bilpar, Dipban, Babunagar, Pachghori, Dohal, Palerchak, Konapara, Noapara, Sreepur and some other villages have been sufferings a lot due to the bridge collapse.
Farmers said now they have no other option to carry their crops to their nearby bazar.
Demanding a concrete bridge, Shankar Bihari Das of Babunagar village told UNB that they have been constructing and reconstructing the bridge with bamboo every year by raising funds locally.
Atique Mia of Dohal village said, “Political leaders assure us during election of constructing a concrete bridge but after winning the election they clean forget their pledges.”
Khajanchi Union Parishad Chairman Talukder Gias Uddin said the higher authorities were informed several times about the urgent need of a bridge here.
Rampasha Union Parishad Chairman Mohammad Alamgir said, “Local people have been suffering a lot for years for not having a concrete bridge here. An application has been sent to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in this regard, and we’re expecting a quick response from them.”
Introducing himself as a newcomer in the area, Bishwanath Upazila Engineer Harunor Rashid Bhuiyan of Local Government Engineering Department said, “If the local people submit an application seeking steps to construct a concrete bridge, we’ll forward it to the department concerned.”
