Plea for bridges

At least 10,000 villagers in Sadar and Aditmari upazilas of the district have been suffering due to lack of concrete bridges over Ratnai, Sati and Maldah rivers. 

The villages are Dolapara, Shiberkuti, Bongram and Char Shiberkuti in Sadar upazila and Uttar Gobdha and Mahistuli villages in Aditmari upazila.

Dayal Chandra Barman, 65, of Dolapara village in Sadar upazila, said around 900 villagers have been using a risky bamboo-made bridge over the river Sati for around eight years. “We use boat for crossing the river during rainy season,” he said, adding that villagers spend their own money for building a bamboo-bridge every year.

Azgar Ali, 58, of Shiberkuti village said they have been demanding a concrete bridge over the Ratnai river since the country's independence, but to no avail. “When election comes, we get promises that a concrete bridge would be constructed, but they are forgotten after the polls,” he said, adding that they spend Tk 5 for each trip by boat.

“Due to lack of a bridge over the Ratnai river, we can't transport our produce to the town market in time, so we cannot get fair prices,” said farmer Nur Islam, 55.

Seher Ali, 62, a farmer at Uttar Gobdha village in Aditmari upazila, said there is no transport facility for connecting to upazila and district headquarters due to absense of a concrete bridge over the Maldah river.

“School and college going students are often late at their institutions as they do not get boats on time,” said Saber Hossain, 48, a businessman at Mahistuli village. “We don't want to listen to promises, we just want a bridge over the Maldah river, which is our longstanding demand,” he said.

District Local Government and Engineering Department Executive Engineer Zakiur Rahman said they have completed the feasibility test for constructing a bridge over Ratnai river at Shiberkuti village in Sadar upazila, but did not say anything about the two other sites.

“We sent the feasibility test report to the higher authorities concerned six months ago, and they will take the next step in this regard,” he said.