Jumbangla Desk: The broken bridge over the Morichchap river in Asashuni upazila of Satkhira has not been rebuilt even in two years. As a result, lakhs of people of five upazilas are risking their lives through that bridge. It is known that the bridge collapsed on July 4, 2022. Two years and three months have passed since then. But the authorities did not take any initiative to rebuild the collapsed bridge.

the bridge

Asashuni upazila engineer of LGED says that the Kunduria-Bankra road belongs to LGED. But the bridge was built by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief. The ministry has to take measures regarding the bridge.

Asashuni Upazila Project Implementation Officer (PIO) says that the road is LGED. LGED will repair or rebuild the broken bridge. Due to LGED and PIO pushing the rope over the bridge, lakhs of people of that area have suffered greatly. People from the surrounding four unions along with the students of the area are crossing the broken bridge at risk every day.

Local residents said that every day thousands of people travel over this bridge from various areas including Fingri in Satkhira, Budhhata and Shobnali in Asashuni and Champaful Union in Kaliganj. But the middle part of the bridge has given way, so people have to travel at risk now.

Siddique Gazi, a local resident, said that the river tides are flowing over the bridge as it is in the middle. As a result, even if men cross the bridge somehow during high tide, women, children and old people are in danger. At the same time hundreds of students of the area risked crossing the bridge.

Shakib, a class 10 student of the local Kunduria High School, said that they used to go to school by bicycle from the village on the other side of the river. But because of the water on the bridge, they cannot cross the bicycle. That is why you have to pay 10 taka each time for crossing the bicycle. Our exam is ahead. Due to the broken bridge, it is very difficult to go to and from school.

Ariful Islam, head teacher of the local Kunduria secondary school, said that most of their students come from the other side of Bankra. Every day hundreds of boys and girls cross this dangerous bridge to go to school. Due to non-renovation of the bridge, the students have suffered a lot. He demanded that the bridge be repaired as soon as possible, otherwise a major accident could happen at any time.

Locals said that before the construction of the bridge, Morichchap river divided Budhhata and Sobhnali Union of Asashuni. People used to travel to different areas including Asashuni Sadar by crossing the river in canoes. As there was no boat or wharf, the river had to be crossed at the risk of life. This bridge was built to connect Kunduria in the south of Budhhata Union and Bankra in the north of Shobnali Union in the face of the demands of local people. But suddenly on July 4, 2022, the bridge gave way.

According to the office of Asashuni Upazila Project Implementation Officer, the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief constructed this bridge 60 feet long and 14 feet wide at a cost of Tk 54 lakh 4 thousand 650 in the fiscal year 2016-2017. After digging the Mirichhap river, the width of the river increased so that the bridge could be given. At present, the water of the Debe Mirichchap river has touched the middle of the bridge. On the sides of the bridge, the palisters have crumbled, the rods have rusted. As a result it has now become risky.

Asashuni upazila project implementation officer. Sohag said that when the bridge was built, there were unpaved roads on both sides. The river was also filled and shortened. In the financial year 2019-20, the LGED paved the road and enlisted them. As a result, they cannot work on the collapsed bridge of that road.

According to the Asashuni Upazila Engineer's office, the bridge was constructed by the Ministry of Relief and Disaster Management in 2016 at a cost of Tk 54 lakhs. It has been the LGED road since long before it was paved. Since the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief constructed the bridge through the office of the local project officer, they are supposed to repair or rebuild the bridge. However, considering the public suffering, the upazila engineer informed the higher authorities in this regard. But no instructions came in this regard. As a result, they have nothing to do in this regard, said the upazila engineer.

It is to be noted that on May 20, a report about this bridge was published in daily newspaper Alo newspaper, "Millions of people in Panch Upazila have not been able to repair the broken bridge even in two years".