Commuters suffer for years for want of bridge
People of six villages in Sadullapur union of Gopalganj’s Kotalipara upazila have been suffering for long for want of a permanent bridge over a canal.
Locals said around four thousand villagers use a makeshift bamboo bridge on the canal to reach their destination.
Especially school kids are the worst sufferers due to the communication problem.
The suffering is beyond description when they need to take a critical patient to hospitals in the upazila or district headquarters, said the villagers.
People of Tikoriyabari, Kalibari, Golabari, Bohorabari, Daskhin Kandi and Hajrabari villages use the 40-feet-long bamboo bridge to go to their destinations including different education institutions and markets every day.
During a recent visit, this correspondent found villagers crossing the makeshift bamboo bridge on the canal amid risk of accident.
Sudhir Barai, 85, of Hajrabari village, said a permanent bridge is badly needed for the canal.
“I have to cross the canal twice a month to visit doctors in the district headquarters, which is really very tough for me. If a permanent bridge is built there, he can take a rickshaw to visit the doctors,” said Sudhir.
Mausumi Dhali, 15, a student of Class IX of Hajrabar-Tikabari High School, said they have to cross the canal six times a day to go to the school and the private tutor’s house amid risk of accident.
Ninth-grade Ashis Barai, 14, of the same school, said “If we do not use the bamboo bridge, we have to walk more three kilometres to go to our school.”
Bhim Barai, chairman of Sadullapur Union Parishad (UP), said people of the area are suffering a lot for long for want of a permanent bridge over the canal.
They have already informed the authorities concerned about the matter but to no respond yet, said the UP chairman.
Rashedur Rahman, project implementation officer (PIO) in Kotalipara upazila, said “I joined here a few days ago. Yet will take immediate steps to build a permanent bridge on the canal.”
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