Despite repeated electoral pledges in the last 42 years from the local parliament members, a bridge on the Haraboti River of Pachbibi upazila of Joypurhat is yet to be materialised.
Thousands of people of the upazila are literally cut off from the rest of the country during the monsoon in the absence of a bridge. Local farmers also face difficulties to market their products.
Hafizar Rahman, retired employee of the Water Development Board of the upazila, said people of the 12 villages of Kusumba and Aolai union would be benefited a lot if the bridge is built.
According to locals, the bridge has been used as an electoral bet for the last 42 years. Many parliament members sought votes on the promise of constructing the bridge but after being elected, they never did so.
Abdul Khalek, a businessman of Sirotti Bazar, said the BNP’s former minister Abdul Alim had been an MP of Joypurhat for a long time. “He was elected three times before he died. During every election he promised to build the bridge but in reality no initiative was taken,” he said.
He, however, added that the current MP from Awami League Shamsul Alam Dudu had been trying to manage fund for the bridge.
Sirotti Bazar area residents Gobinda Chandra, Habiba Begum and Anjali Rani said they had been facing immense sufferings during the monsoon.
People of Bashkhur, Kuwatpur, Boropukuria, Salaipur, Sonakul, Kusumba, Chikonmatia, Kashra, Gobindapur, Bharahut, Gorna, Chatkhur and Haripur villages are literally stranded during the rainy season. Though a bamboo-bridge was made by the locals, it did not last long.
Moreover, farmers have to take a detour and count extra expense to take their products to Sirotti Bazar.
Nur Alam, a farmer of Kashra-Gobindopur village said: “We are having to spend extra to transport rice and potatoes to nearby bazar. If there was a bridge on the Haraboti River, it would have been easy for us.”
Acknowledging the need for the bridge, Aolai union parishad Chairman Ekramul Haq Chowdhury said it was not possible to build such a long bridge by the union parishad alone. Shamsul Alam Dudu, MP of Joypurhat and Pachbibi, said: “The previous MPs of BNP and Jatiya Party were not sincere to build the bridge. That is why this area has been neglected for long. I am aware of the situation and the much needed bridge will be built within the tenure of this government.”