<i>People of 30 villages suffer for 40 years just for want of a bridge</i>
People of 30 villages in Baliadangi and Ranishankoil upazilas of Thakurgaon district have to walk on this shaky bamboo-made bridge to cross Tironi River. The villagers have been demanding a concrete bridge there for the last 40 years but the authorities concerned have not taken any step yet. Photo: STAR
People of 30 villages under two upazilas have been crossing Tirnoi River by bamboo-made bridge for the last 40 years as no move was taken to set up a concrete bridge there. The bridge connecting Baliadangi and Ranishankoil, two upazilas of the district, was built by locals. “There was a wooden bridge over the river but it was damaged during the Liberation War. Unfortunately, the authorities did not build any concrete bridge after the independence," Jamiruddin, a local deed writer, told this correspondent during a visit to Baliganj recently. Villagers alleged that candidates of different political parties during campaigns before the parliamentary elections assured local people several times of constructing a bridge across the river but they forgot their promises after the polls. People of Bara Palashbari union under Baliadangi upazila upto the north of Tirnoi River face great difficulty during the rainy season, as they have to use alternative routes and travel additional 40 kilometres to go to the Nekmarad Haat for trading, said locals. Besides, a large number of school and madrasa children of Kashipur union under Ranishankoil upazila, living on the southern bank also suffer the same problem while going to Bara Palashbari High School and Beltala Islamic Alim Madrasha on the opposite side of the river. Headmaster Nagen Chandra said during the rainy season, the students have to use two sets of dresses. “One for crossing river and the another for attending school”, he added. Madrasa superintendent Md Kushum Uddin told this correspondent that during monsoon, they set up a sub-centre on the southern bank of the river for taking examinations as over 200 students reside there. Jesmin Akhtar, 14, a student of class-VII, said she often failed to attend the school timely during heavy rain as she had to swim across the river. The affected villages include Jele Bosti, Dharia Bosti, Kodamtoli, Bragochia, Chochpara, Dhuliavita, Dalal Bosti, Uzirmoni, Dakhin Duari and Polashbari village under Baliadangi and Laksham, Jhabortola, Choybhagia, Kashipur, Gurbari, Jogdal, Moharaja, Patagora, Kadihat, and Nuntor under Ranishankoil upazilas. Farmer Khabir Uddin, 50, of Bara Palashbari under Baliadangi said they cannot bring their agriculture items to the haat (local market) by a tractor or a trolley for want of a permanent bridge. Monsur Ali, chairman of Bara Palashbari union parishad, said people of the area have demanded construction of a concrete bridge for long but to no effect as yet. "We wrote to the authorities several times for constructing a bridge but it all went unheeded". Demanding immediate construction of the bridge, Jyotish Chandra Roy, Kashipur UP chairman of Ranishankoil, said thousands of people are facing manifold problems just for want of a permanent bridge. LGED engineer of Baliadangi upazila Monirul Hossain said at present they were not able to build the bridge there as they had already submitted a proposal to the authorities with the recommendation of the local lawmaker for the construction of five other significant bridges. Contacted, lawmaker Dabirul Islam said he plans to build a bridge-cum-rubber dam across the river "during the tenure of the present government".
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