55 Years After Independence 20 Tangail Villages Still Rely on a Rotting Wooden Bridge

For decades, residents of Basail, Tangail, have demanded a permanent bridge over the Langulia River. Today, a dilapidated wooden bridge in Khatra village remains the only crossing for thousands of people across 20 villages in Basail and Kalihati upazilas. Despite 55 years of independence and repeated promises from politicians, a concrete bridge has never been built.

According to locals, this route is the only accessible way for residents of Phulkari, Khatra, Balla, Kazipur, and neighboring villages to reach the upazila headquarters. Frustrated by the lack of infrastructure, locals pooled their own funds to build the wooden bridge 12 years ago. Today, the wooden poles have rotted, making the crossing highly dangerous.

A visit to the area reveals that even traveling on foot is perilous, yet small vehicles like auto-rickshaws and motorcycles continue to cross at great risk. The poor transport link has severely impacted the local agriculture-based economy. Farmers face high transport costs and struggle to get their crops to the Kauljani Board Market on time, depriving them of fair prices.

The crisis also threatens the safety of hundreds of students attending nearby schools, including Lutfa-Shanta Girls High School and Kauljani Nowsheria High School. Students frequently slip on the unstable planks, dropping their books into the river, and parents are increasingly afraid to let their children commute alone.

Locals expressed anger at public representatives who use the bridge as a political bargaining chip. "After independence, many MPs have come and gone," said local resident Hamed Ali Mia. "When elections come, they promise to build it. Once the voting is over, they forget us."

Auto-rickshaw drivers Ripon and Azmat Ali echoed these concerns, noting frequent accidents. "A wooden plank once broke, and my auto-rickshaw fell through. Six people had to pull it up," Azmat recalled. "Locals pool money for temporary repairs, but the wood is completely rotten. We are risking our lives every day."

Addressing the issue, Basail Upazila Engineer (LGED) Kazi Fattaur Rahman stated, "The Khatra Bridge has been included in the first phase of the 'Bridges Under 100 Meters' project. Tenders will be called once the project officially begins."

Tangail LGED Executive Engineer Mohammad Kamruzzaman added that local leadership has urged the swift construction of the bridge. "If the under-100-meter project is delayed, we will make arrangements to fund the bridge through another Tangail-based project," he assured.