Bridge without approach roads causes suffering
A bridge built nearly 20 years ago over a canal at Bogaputa village in Mymensingh's Ishwarganj upazila is of no use to the villagers as it does not have approach roads.
The 40-foot long and 12-foot wide bridge was constructed by an NGO on Doyha Canal at Bogaputa village on Charpara-Maizhati road in 1995 to improve ease of transport for the people of around 20 villages.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. Due to erosion along the canal, the approach road of the bridge was washed away two years after its construction. The bridge has been lying unrepaired and unused since then, locals said.
Md Shamim Miah, member of Sohagi Union Parishad, said thousands of people, including school and college students from nearby Bhalukber, Maizhati, Krishnapur, Sohagipara and Momrezpur, suffered from the lack of an approach road.
In the dry season, people walk across under the bridge, but in the rainy season they have to use inconvenient alternate roads, Shamim added.
People from several villages, including Boroibari and Tengapara of adjacent Gouripur upazila, used the road earlier for easy connection to Ishwarganj upazila, locals said.
Md Asaduzzaman, chairman of Sohagi Union Parishad, said he tried to get funds for different projects in the union, but failed to manage it for the last five years.
"I raised the issue at the monthly coordination meeting of the upazila administration many times, but to no avail," he added.
Md Harun-al-Rashid, principal of Sohagi Union High School and College, said the college has around 1,800 students, mostly girls, and around 300 of them from different villages of Ishwarganj use the road under the bridge to reach their institution in the dry season.
But in the rainy season they have to walk two or three kilometers more.
He urged the authorities concerned to rebuild the approach roads of the bridge immediately.
Rajib Kumar Sarker, upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) of Ishwarganj, said he was aware of the problem. The administration would take immediate steps to solve the problem, the UNO added.
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