'Build bridge over Atrai river'
The people of four northern districts have been suffering a lot due to the lack of a bridge on the Atrai river in Birganj upazila in the district.
The districts are Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Nilphamari and Panchagarh.
The villagers said boats and temporary bamboo bridges are their only means to cross the river.
“If a bridge is built on the river, people from all walks of life in the districts can travel without any hassle,” said ASM Ataur Rahman, chairman of Aloqjhari Union Parishad under Birganj upazila.
The incidents of boat capsize are common in the Atrai river and the situation gets worse during the rainy season, Ataur said. Farmers could take their produce to the markets, students could attend their schools on time and patients could go to hospital quickly if there was a bridge over the river, he added.
Cloth trader Jahangir Alam of Baldia village in Birganj upazila of Dinajpur, said he needs to go to Nilphamari and Thakurgaon for his wholesale shopping. “The journey is quite risky and I feel insecure at night,” he said.
Rahimul Islam of Boleya Bazar said farmers cannot take their crops to the markets on time due to the absence of a bridge.
“Haats usually start early in the morning, but we can't reach there before 11:00am due to non-availability of boats and rickshaw vans,” Rahimul said.
Ashraful Islam of Joyganj village in Birganj upazila, who got the lease of the ghat (landing place) on the Atrai river, said more than one lakh people of the four districts cross the river every month, adding that many people travel to tourist spot Nilsagar in Nilphamari as it only 17km away.
LGED Engineer in Birganj upazila Md Musa said they were conducting a survey in the area for building a bridge over the Atrai river. After completing it his office would prepare a project plan for building the bridge, he added.
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