The bridge built at a cost of 1 crore 2 lakh 87 thousand taka over the Shialghuni canal in Kobai Union in Bakerganj, Barisal is now of no use. Locals and school and college-going students have to travel on both sides of the bridge using ladders made of bamboo.
Although the victims are suffering greatly, no one seems to be looking into the matter. As a result, there is a strong anger among the locals. There is a possibility that this anger of the common people will turn into protests,
A contracting company named SM Enterprise started construction work in May 2024 under the bridge/culvert construction project of the Disaster Management Department on rural roads under the office of the Bakerganj Upazila Project Implementation Officer. Although the construction work was supposed to be completed in November 2024 for a period of 6 months, the contractor did not complete the construction of the bridge even in two years. Even though embankments were built on both sides of the canal during the construction of the bridge, the canal has been closed as the embankment has not been removed yet.
Local residents complained that since there is no connecting road on both sides of the constructed bridge, they are not getting the benefits of the bridge built at a cost of crores of taka. Locals are using ladders made of bamboo and wood to cross the bridge. The elderly, including school and college students, in those areas are suffering the most due to the lack of construction of the connecting road to the bridge that has been built for a long time. Pedestrians often face accidents while crossing the bridge using ladders.
Local public representatives said on condition of anonymity that even after a year of the construction of the bridge, the connecting road on both sides has not been built. Students and locals from three villages and locals have to cross the bridge every day using ladders made of bamboo and wood through this bridge built in an area of public importance. As a result, the locals are not getting the benefits of the bridge built at a cost of crores of taka by the government.
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