Thousands suffer for want of a bridge

People of nearby villages have to take a risky walk on this shaky bamboo-made bridge to cross Naleya canal at Madarghat in Faridpur union under Sadullapur upazila of Gaibandha district. Locals' demand for a permanent bridge there has remained unmet for long.Photo: STAR

Thousands of villagers in ten unions under Saduallapur and Pirganj upazilas of two districts have been suffering for long for want of a bridge over Noleya canal. The bridge is needed to link the unions with the Rangpur-Bogra highway.
The unions are Dhaperhat, Faridpur, Bhatgram, Jamalpur and Rasulpur of Sadullapur upazila under Gaibandha district and Mithapukur, Panchgachi, Ramnathpur, Chatra and Pirganj Sadar in Pirganj upazila under Rangpur district.
Everyday, market-going people, farmers, traders and students of different educational institutes face much hassle while crossing the canal.
Patients, especially pregnant women and sick children, are the worst sufferers due to the communication problem as doctors show unwillingness to visit the areas, villagers said. "We have to walk an additional ten kilometres due to taking another path to reach destinations", said a villager.
The road connects different markets at Dhaperhat, Matherganj, Molong Bazaar, Bhatgram and Sonerhat. People cannot take their agricultural products to these markets due to communication problem.
Ignoring risk, farmers of these areas use continue to rickshaw-van and carry goods to the markets through the bamboo-made bridge. Otherwise they have to move quite a long way to reach markets with bulky goods incurring high transportation cost.
During rainy season, people cross the canal by ferryboat while in dry season they use a make shift bamboo-made bridge. Every year local people with the help of Faridpur union parishad erect the temporary bridge. They spontaneously supplying bamboo and other necessary items for construction of the bridge.
Due to lack of communication, farmers are forced to sell their products to middlemen at lower price. "This is because we cannot send our agricultural items to the markets", said Abul Hasan Pramanik, chairman of Bhatgram union.
Ismail Hossain, a nursery owner of Utter Faridpur village in Sadullapur upazila said “It takes much time to reach markets with the products. The rickshaw-vans move cautiously while crossing the bamboo-bridge”, he said.
The situation turns worst during the rainy season, he added.
Kabbad Hossain, a farmer, said “We face problem in marketing agriculture products like paddy, wheat and jute. We cannot carry enough quantity of items across the bamboo-bridge, which also goes under water during rainy season”.
Nushrat Jahan, a student of class-X at a local high school at Molan Bazaar said “We cannot attend classes in time during rainy season, as we have to cross the canal by raft risking life”.
Many students have to wait for long on the bank of the canal all their way to school, said Anjumanara Begum, a student of class seven.
Rasulpur union parishad chairman Rabiul Karim Dula said they have been demanding construction of a permanent bridge over the canal.
"We appealed to different authorities several times but to no effect”, he said.