Locals suffer as bridge work stalled for 9 months

Residents are facing severe hardship as construction of the 52-metre-long Kaunai Bridge in Barhatta upazila of Netrakona has remained suspended for nearly nine months. 

The road is the only vital route connecting the Barhatta upazila headquarters with Netrakona district town, with around 8,000 to 10,000 people using it daily. 

According to sources at the local LGED office, the estimated cost of the bridge is Tk 4.30 crore. Construction began on September 12, 2024, and the project was awarded to a joint venture contractor, Pritom Enterprise and Golam Ershadur Rahman JB. 

However, although work stopped in March last year, it has not yet resumed.

As an alternative, the contractor built a temporary bamboo bridge, but it collapsed within two to three months. Currently, as the riverbed has dried up, locals are commuting underneath with auto-rickshaws and motorcycles. 

Raihan Quaraishi, a resident of Choygaon village, said, “There are several schools and madrasas on both sides of this road. Students have to cross this river every day. The suffering is even greater for patients and elderly people. Accidents often occur while travelling by auto-rickshaw.”

Barhatta upazila Engineer Md Abdul Baten said the contractor had been served a notice to complete the work within the stipulated time. “There is a shortage of some equipment on the contractor’s side. They have informed us that they will collect the equipment and complete the work quickly. We are conducting regular supervision,” he said.

One of the owners of the contracting firm, Md Jewel Ahmed Khan, said, “All sand quarries in Netrakona have been shut down by the government, creating a serious sand crisis. Bringing sand from other areas has increased costs several times. Work was also suspended during the monsoon season. Construction will resume very soon.”

Netrakona LGED Senior Engineer Md Rafikul Islam said, “We are monitoring the situation to ensure that the contractor does not carry out substandard work. They have been instructed to complete the project according to proper rules. They informed us that some machinery needs to be brought from Chattogram, which is why the work has been delayed somewhat.”