The construction work of the bridge on Shukh River in Khulna’s Dumuria upazila has not been completed even in two years.
As such hundreds of people of Magurkhali and Kopilmuni continue to suffer as the bridge is deemed very important for regional connectivity.
Ataul Gani, assistant engineer of Dumuria upazila said the contractor had finished 60 percent of the work so far and withdrew Tk32 lakh 62 thousand.
The time to finish the work has been extended till April 30.
The initiative to make a convenient road connectivity from Dumuria’s Kathaltola to neighbouring Paikgachha’s Kopilmuni area was first taken in 2012.
As part of the project a 60-feet long bridge was proposed to be built on the Shukh River near Koipukuria Secondary School in Magurkhali union. Funded by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and implemented by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the Tk94 lakh 92 thousand project was given to Mahfuz Khan Traders on December 10, 2012.
The two year term to build the bridge ended on December 10 of last year. However, the contractors has only finished the ground work and the abutment wall. The work has been stalled for the last five months.
Meanwhile, residents of the adjacent areas continue to suffer by commuting on the risky make-shift bamboo bridge.
Headmaster of Koipukuria Union Secondary School Bidhan Chandra Mondol said because the school building was on one side of the river and the administrative building on the other, students and teachers face a lot of trouble crossing the river frequently.
Magurkhali Union Parishad Chairman Bimol Krishna Sana said people had to cross the river to go to school, bazar, health complex, union parishad and police camp. “The delay in the work is not only lengthening our trouble but also causing the bridge structure to rot. The rods of the side-wall is already deteriorating,” he said.
When contacted upazila engineer Abdul Khalek said they could not do much work due to the monsoon. He, however, assured that the bridge would be inaugurated soon.
Underscoring the importance of the bridge Dumuria upazila Chairman Khan Ali Monsur said efforts were being made to open up the bridge to people.
Executive Engineer of Khulna LGED Delwar Hossain Mazumdar said they asked the contractors to finish the construction work within April this year.