Thousands use makeshift bridges on three rivers

For years, more than 80 thousand people in 20 villages of three upazilas -- Sadar, Jaldhaka and Domar -- have been bearing the cost of making makeshift bamboo bridges over three rivers. 

“Before each election, candidates make all sorts of promises to construct a concrete bridge there, but they disappear after the election,” said Raisuddin, 62, from Chowdhurypara village in Jaldhaka upazila, where around 25 thousand residents of five villages cross the Dhum river using a bamboo bridge the villagers build every year in Golmunda village.

Abul Alim, another elderly resident of neighbouring Shyampur village, said, “When the bridge gets damaged during the rainy season, we have to travel an additional four kilometres to reach the upazila town.”

In Uttara Shashi village of Sadar upazila, villagers have been making a bamboo bridge, about 125-foot-long, over the Jamuneshwari river each year. 

Many of the around 40 thousand residents of nine villages -- Uttara Shashi, Chapra, Panchpukur, Babrijhar, Saitontola, Kisamat Kalkini, Fatultari, Madontari and Karbala -- use this risky bridge at least twice daily as it is their only means of communications between the district headquarters.  

Uttora Shashi village resident Aminur Rahman said the bridge usually wears out by the time the rainy season is over and for that reason, they collect money from villagers as well as the local union parishad (UP) each year to replace it with a new bamboo bridge.  

Local UP Chairman Habibur Rahman said after he contacted the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) for constructing a concrete bridge over the river, the department already conducted a survey in the area.

He, however, could not confirm when they would start the construction work.

The riskiest of the three bamboo bridges is the one on the Chekadara river at Nayani Bakdogra village of Domar upazila.

The bridge is used by 15 thousand residents of six villages -- Noyani Bagdokra, Bagdokra, Nimojkhana, Halhalia, Boragari and Uttor Boragari.

Halhalia village resident Jagadish Roy said several hundred students from the villages go to three schools on the other side of the river.

But oftentimes, they have to wade across the river when the poor villagers fail to pay for a replacement bridge there, he added.   

Contacted, Belal Hossain, executive engineer of LGED in Nilphamari, said being aware of the situation, he already sent development project proposals to higher authorities for constructing three concrete bridges on the three rivers.