5 years without a bridge

For more than five years, people from at least 25 villages in two Jamalpur upazilas have been suffering after a bridge over the Jhenai river in Sarishabari upazila collapsed during the 2020 floods.

The 200-metre-long concrete bridge was a vital link between Sarishabari and Madarganj upazilas. Its collapse cut off road communication, forcing thousands of residents to take long detours for daily activities, increasing travel time and costs significantly.

Locals said the bridge was the only convenient route for residents of at least 20 villages in Kamrabad and Satpua unions of Sarishabari, and Shidhuli and Adarvita unions of Madarganj.

Since the collapse, they have organised human chains and submitted petitions several times, demanding a new bridge or repair of the damaged one.

"The worst affected are students. They cannot reach school on time because of the long detours. Immediate steps should be taken to rebuild the bridge," said Babu Miah, a member of Kamrabad Union Parishad.

Hundreds of people from the western side of the river, including Kamrabad and Satpua unions, used to rely on the bridge to reach Sarishabari upazila headquarters for work, markets and healthcare.

Now, many have to use risky boats or travel several extra kilometres.

"We have been facing immense trouble since the bridge collapsed. The government should urgently build a new concrete bridge here," said Abdul Bari, a farmer from Shuakur village.

Waiting under the scorching sun on the riverbank, Morgina Begum of Shesua village said, "I have been waiting for over half an hour just to cross the river. The authorities must act quickly to ease our suffering."

Another resident, Asraful Islam, added, "The bridge collapsed years ago, but no concrete action has been taken. This is an emergency — the bridge must be rebuilt soon."

Sarishabari Upazila Engineer Jahidul Hasan acknowledged the residents' suffering caused by the bridge collapse in 2020, which he said was due to strong flood currents.

"An expert team from the LGED head office has visited the site several times. There is a plan to build a new bridge beside the damaged one," he said.