United News of Bangladesh

For the past 17 years, residents of Bhitorband union in Nageshwari upazila have been crossing Duburir canal on a fragile wooden plank structure — a risky substitute for a bridge that collapsed in 2008 and has yet to be rebuilt. Once the bridge on the Jamtalapara–Kachuarpaar–Madaikhal connecting road served as a vital link for thousands of people in the area.  Now it stands as a reminder of stalled development and unfulfilled promises. In the absence of government intervention, villagers — with support from local public representatives — installed a temporary wooden platform over the damaged structure to keep communication between the two sides alive.  But time and weather have taken their toll. The makeshift crossing has grown increasingly unstable, swaying under the weight of pedestrians and turning dangerously slippery during rains and floods.  Locals fear that a serious accident could happen at any moment. Locals said, two bridges were built at the same location with funds from the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief.  But due to limited budget allocations and alleged substandard construction both were washed away by strong currents within two to three years of completion. The last bridge, constructed in 2006, was completely destroyed in the devastating floods of 2008.  Since then, no effective initiative has been taken to rebuild a permanent structure. Hashem Ali, a local trader, said the bridge is now barely usable. “We have to take long detours to transport patients or pregnant women to hospital. Auto-rickshaws cannot pass through. We face severe problems carrying fertiliser, raw materials and harvested paddy,” he said.