A bridge built over the Sonamati canal in Pirganj upazila of Rangpur at a cost of more than Tk 8 lakh has become a symbol of poor planning, with local farmers alleging that it has brought them little or no benefit due to the absence of approach roads on either side.
The bridge constructed in Bhendabari village under Bhendabari union stands isolated amid vast stretches of farmland, making it virtually unusable for the people it was intended to serve.
Although the structure was built to facilitate farmers’ movement and transportation of crops, farmers said they are unable to use it because there are no connecting roads and both ends of the bridge are significantly higher than the surrounding fields.
“We cannot even take our harvested crops across the bridge to the market,” said farmer Ramjan Ali, expressing frustration over what he described as a wasted public investment.
A visit to the site revealed that while there is a narrow footpath leading to the eastern side of the bridge, the western end opens directly onto cultivated farmland with no road connection.
Farmer Lal Mia said the bridge has remained largely ineffective since its completion.
“Without access roads, the bridge is of no practical use to us. The elevated ends make it difficult even to carry harvested crops across,” he said.
Another farmer, Sabuj Mia, said nearly 150 acres of farmland surround the area along with a Hindu cremation ground.
“Most of the farmland lies between the canal and the Sonamati River. This bridge was supposed to be the easiest route for transporting agricultural produce, but without connecting roads, it serves little purpose,” he said.
Residents said the main road lies to the north of the bridge while agricultural land stretches in all directions.
Although there is a narrow walking path beside some fields no proper approach roads have been built on either side of the bridge.
A local farmer, requesting anonymity, said the road could not be widened because a few landowners refused to give up land needed for its construction.
“As some landowners were unwilling to provide land for the road, the approach road to the bridge could not be developed,” he said.
According to official sources, the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) constructed four bridges in Pirganj upazila during the 2020-21 fiscal year under a project titled ‘Small-scale Irrigation Development and Irrigation Efficiency Enhancement through Surface Water Conservation’.
The four bridges were built at a total cost of Tk 40 lakh to facilitate the transportation of agricultural produce from fields.
The Sonamati canal bridge alone cost Tk 803,000.
Hossain Mohammad Altaf, Executive Engineer (Construction) of BADC Rangpur, said the structure was designed as a pedestrian footbridge rather than a vehicle bridge.
“The bridge was constructed to allow people to cross the canal on foot. It was not designed for vehicular movement, so the project did not include funding for approach roads,” he said.
He added that the bridge was intended to enable farmers to carry their produce across the canal on foot.
However, acknowledging local concerns, Altaf said efforts would be made to improve accessibility.
“We will take steps to make both ends of the bridge more convenient for public use so that people can cross it without difficulty,” he said.
While officials maintain that the bridge has fulfilled its design objectives, local farmers argue that the absence of proper road connectivity has undermined its intended purpose.
They urged the authorities to build approach roads and lower the elevated ends of the bridge so that it can genuinely serve the farming community and ensure that public funds are put to effective use.