Broken bridge lies unrepaired for 3yrs

Thousands of villagers are suffering a lot as a 150-foot-long bridge on Sutabaria canal in Patuakhali’s Dashmina upazila has remained unused since a portion of the bridge collapsed over three years ago.

Especially school goers and critical patients are the worst sufferers as they have to cross the canal on a dinghy amid risk of accident. 

Locals said in 2016, a 25-foot-long portion of the bridge in Jamir Mridha Bazar area collapsed as a sand-laden cargo hit it. A girl was killed and five others were injured in the accident.

Since then the bridge has remained unused, causing immense sufferings to thousands of commuters, they said.

A source at Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Dashmina upazila said in 2014-15 fiscal year, the bridge was built at a cost of Tk 10 lakh to ease communication of nearby 11 villages with the upazila headquarters.

The villages include Mordana, Goromali, Jafrabad, Kharija, Betagi, Rambollov, Chingoria, Dabari, Chandrabaj and Tafalbaria in the upazila.

Md Hiron Ahmed, acting headmaster of Kharija Betagi High School, said a Patuakhali-bound sand-laden cargo from Galachipa upazila hit one of the pillars of the bridge while crossing the canal on December 14 in 2016. At the time, a portion of the bridge collapsed.

Since then students and local people have to cross the canal on dinghy amid risk of accident, Hiron said, adding that due to this, students’ attendance in different schools of the area has thin.

There are 320 students at Kharija Betagi High School and 213 at Kharija Betagi Government Primary School in the bazar area.

Faria Sultana, health care service provider of a community clinic in the area, said a good number of patients visited the clinic before the bridge collapsed but now the number of patients has decreased.

Jahanagir Melkar, a trader of the bazar, said they have to face various problems to bring their goods to the markets of the upazila headquarters since the bridge became unfit to use about three years ago.

Despite repeated pleas, the authorities concerned are yet to take any steps to repair the bridge, said Md Mohibul Alam, chairman of Betagi Sankipuyr Union Parishad.

Md Nasir Uddin Pahloan, vice chairman of Dashmina upazila parishad, said they are trying their best to repair the broken bridge.

Upazila LGED Engineer Md Jahangir Alam said they have already written to the higher authorities for funds to repair the bridge but to no respond yet.