Bridge lying broken for 10 years!
A broken bridge on a Jhalakathi canal in Sadar upazila has been lying unrepaired for about ten years, much to the suffering of thousands of people.
The bridge was damaged in 2007 when a sand-laden cargo vessel rammed into it, said local farmer Abdur Rashid, adding that it was constructed in 1999 by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
The bridge links Jhalakathi Sadar and Swarupkathi of Pirojpur, as well as Banaripara of Barisal.
The broken part of the bridge is still lying in the canal, disturbing movement of hundreds of goods-laden trawlers that cross the canal every day.
The canal is used as a shortcut for going to Swarupkathi, a renowned business centre, from Jhalakathi, said Rafiqul Islam, an agro-businessman of the area.
Every day, farmers have to pay extra to cross the canal on ferries because most of them have their lands across the canal, farmers said.
“I and some of my workers cross the canal four times a day, and we have to pay Tk 5 per head, per trip,” said Md Shahid, another farmer.
“My large trawler cannot pass through the canal due to the broken portion of the bridge,” said Nurul Alam, a trawler driver.
“The road was a good source of earning for us because passengers used the shortcut for going to Banaripara or Swarupkathi, but our income has decreased after the bridge broke,” said Saidur Rahman, a rental motorbike rider of Jhalakathi college intersection area.
“We informed the authorities concerned several times, but to no avail,” villagers said.
Upazila engineer of LGED Md Sharifud-Daula said a proposal for reconstructing the bridge was sent to the higher authorities two months ago.
“The broken portion of the bridge will be removed as soon as possible after a meeting of the upazila law and disciplinary committee,” he added.
"We repeatedly informed the higher authorities but they did not allot any fund for the bridge. That is why we could not remove the broken bridge," said Md Selim Sarkar, executive engineer of LGED, who joined three years ago.
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