Bridge tilted before inauguration not repaired in 5yrs

An important bridge at Nirail village in Basail upazila that tilted just after completion of its construction work has not been reconstructed in the last five years.

As a result, thousands of people of the village and nine other adjacent villages have been facing immense sufferings for long.

According to the office of the Project Implementation Officer (PIO) in Basail, Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief constructed a total of 128 bridges in 12 upazilas of Tangail during the 2016-2017 fiscal years.

Under the project, one of the bridges was constructed at Nirail village under Fulki union in Basail upazila.

Construction Firm Ms Abdullah Enterprise built the 60-foot-long bridge at a cost of Tk 54 lakh.

But the newly constructed bridge got tilted amid huge pressure of flood water just before its inauguration, sources at the PIO office said.

Local people, however, blamed use of sub-standard materials in the construction work.

Later, authorities concerned requested the contractor to reconstruct the bridge again.

But, after conducting the demolition work partially the constructor concern didn't continue the work further.

The contractor could not continue the bridge reconstruction work due to ending of the project period, the PIO office said.

Meanwhile, people of at least 10 villages, including Balia, Fulki, Fulbari, Baghil and Nirail have been facing huge sufferings to go to their destinations due to the incomplete bridge construction work.

Several villagers said now they are compel to move several kilometres more to reach the upazila heath complex or taking agricultural goods to the nearby markets.

"We have been deprived of getting fair prices of our crops as we cannot take our agricultural products to the local markets due to the broken bridge," said Robi Miah of Nirail village.

Meanwhile, several students of the area said they have to face serious troubles while going to and from their institutions during the rainy season for not having a bridge.

Contacted, Basail PIO Shakhawat Hossain said out of the Tk 54 lakh bill the contractor got only Tk 12 lakh.

The Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) have a plan to construct a large bridge there, he added.