<i>Women set example, build long bridge over river</i>
Women of Nayani Bagdogra and Bagdogra villages of Domar upazila in Nilphamari district have set a laudable example by voluntarily constructing a 162-foot-long bamboo bridge over Chekadara River to relieve sufferings of people, especially hundreds of school going children.
About 20 thousand people of at least nine villages have to cross the Chekadara River to go to Domar upazila headquarters and neighbouring Deviganj upazila in Panchagarh district.
In absence of any bridge, people on both sides of the river flowing between Nayani Bagdogra and Bagdogra villages had to cross it by swimming or on rafts in the rainy season. Several hundred children of the villages read in different schools in Domar upazila town, some four kilometres away.
As they had to cross a longer distance while using an alternative road, many kids stopped going to pre-school or primary school.
Thinking especially of children's schooling, many women of the two villages decided to build a bamboo bridge and formed a women's association titled 'Palli Samaj Samity'.
“After our decision to make a bridge before the rains, we collected bamboo and money from door to door. Many others served through voluntary labour," said Kalpana Rani, president of the association.
"Within 20 days, we completed the bridge construction on June 8, before start of the rainy season," she said.
Even during the arduous work of bridge construction, association members performed all their household chores like cleaning and preparing family breakfast and lunch, said the women.
At present, 'Palli Samaj Samity' has 115 female members. One hundred male members are also associated with the organisation but they have to work under the supervision of female members as per organisation rule, said sources.
During a visit to the bridge on Saturday (September 10), it was found that children were going to schools through the bridge while farmers were taking their produces to Domar Bazar easily.
Samity president Kalpana Rani said, "We are now inspired. We are also committed to prevent early marriage and motivate people to use sanitary latrine and adopt family planning."
Villagers said that present lawmaker from Jatiya Party Jafar Siddique visited the spot before the Jatiya Sangsad election of 2008 and made commitment to construct a bridge if elected. But the commitment is yet to be fulfilled over two and a half years after his election.
Present upazila parishad Chairman Abdur Razzak Basunia and union parishad Chairman Ishaq Ali also made election pledges to construct a bridge over the river.
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