They build road, wooden bridge on their own

The people of remote Hajipur village of Nogda Shimla union in Gopalpur upazila under the district have built around a two-kilometre earthen path and a wooden bridge on a canal through combined voluntary efforts.

Starting the work with the initiative of some local energetic youths in December last year, the villagers completed it on Monday.

It has eased the communication for several thousand people of Hajipur, about four kilometres west of Gopalpur upazila headquarters, and adjacent villages Nabogram, Baishkail and Banomali. 

The villagers had been suffering a lot for decades due to lack of a road and a bridge on a canal flowing between Hajipur and Nabogram.

“The locals, especially school and college going students, had to walk through muddy lands or use boats or banana rafts during the monsoon. Sufferings of the serious patients requiring treatment at hospitals knew no bound,” he said.

The locals repeatedly approached the local public representatives, including members and chairman in the union, but got no result, said Abdul Latif, president of Hajipur Dakkhinpara Mosque Committee.

Finally villagers took initiative to build an earthen path and a wooden bridge on the canal on their own, said Sohel Rana of the village.

“We have taken help from over 300 families of Hajipur village for the work and built the 1.75-kilometre earthen path with the soil cut from adjacent croplands and built the wooden bridge on the canal,” said Mohammad Ainal Haque of the village.

Appreciating the villagers' initiative, M Hossain Ali, chairman of Nogda Shimla union parishad, said, "Now I will take initiative to construct a metalled road and a concrete bridge there.”