As polls pledges were flouted, local people staged agitation and submitted memorandum to authorities, but to no result.

BNP lawmaker Habibul Islam Habib elected from Tala-Kalaroa constituency pledged to construct a bridge there in his polls campaign in 2001. He was but he did not fulfill the pledge.

A bridge on the river at Khordo is a long cherished desire of over five lakh people of Kalaroa upazila in Satkhira district and Keshabpur, Manirampur, Sharsha and Jhhikargachha upazilas in Jessore district.

The bridge will also reduce the distance between Jessore and Satkhira by 16 kilometres and make road communication easier with Khulna.

The Khordo Setu (bridge) Implementation Committee staged demonstrations on several occasions at Kalaroa and submitted a memorandum to the then lawmaker Habib on November 12 in 2004 to press the demand.

Over 5000 people brought out a procession, formed human chain and held a rally at Kalaroa upazila headquarters on April 3 last year protesting 'inaction' of the then lawmaker Habibul Islam in this regard, convener of the committee Raju Ahmed said.

Talking to local journalists at Satkhira Reporters Club recently, Raju urged the caretaker government to fulfill the long felt demand of over five lakh people of the area by taking up a project to construct the Khordo bridge.

Hundreds of students are the worst sufferers as they have to cross the river on boats to go to different educational institutions in the area.

Following repeated demands, the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) took up a project to construct a bailey bridge at Khordo at a cost of Tk 10 lakh soon after BNP came to power in 1991, Raju said. But it also was cancelled.

Former Awami League (AL) lawmaker Khan Tipu Sultan elected from Manirampur constituency in 1996 got a project sanctioned at the fag end of the then AL government. He laid the foundation stone in March, 2001.

But it was cancelled again after the BNP-led four-party alliance came to power in 2001.