Bridge over Kulda River too risky for users
This awfully dilapidated bridge near Benapole border in Jessore district faces the risk of disaster anytime, especially during the ongoing rainy season, fear several thousand users in four nearby villages.Photo: STAR
The bridge over Kudla River at Swarbanghuda village in Sharsha upazila Benapole border has turned awfully risky, much to the worry of thousands of people who use the bridge near Bangladesh-India border. Located four kilometres off the Benapole Land Port, the bridge is known as the doorway to the people of Ghiba, Raghunathpur and Swarbanghuda villages under Bahadurpur union. Every day a good number of people have to cross the bridge as two check-posts of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), two high schools, two primary schools, two madrasas and several important establishments are located in nearby areas. The rainy season brings added trouble to the users of the bridge that goes under two to three feet deep water. There are often accidents as several cracks have appeared on the worn-out bridge. “The bridge poses life risk for us. Especially the school going students are the worst sufferers," Abdur Rashid, a resident of Swarbanghuda, said. The bridge may collapse at any moment, snapping communication of about 25 thousand people of the three villages, said another villager. Locals have demanded construction of a new bailey bridge to mitigate their sufferings and help trade and other activities in the area. Tariqul Islam, assistant engineer of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) in Sharsha upazila, said “There is no scope to repair the bridge. A proposal was sent to the LGED to reconstruct the bridge early last month. We are yet to receive any letter in this regard.”
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