The only bridge over Sutabaria river in Dashmina upazila of Patuakhali district collapsed after being hit by a sand laden cargo about six years ago. However, no initiative has been taken to construct or renovate the bridge yet.
According to local sources, on December 14, 2016, on the way from Galachipa upazila to Dashmina, a sand-laden cargo hit the bridge and its middle part collapsed by the impact.
The sand-laden cargo also sank in the river after hitting the bridge.
Five people, including four children, fell into the river. Four out the five drowned managed to swim to the shore, but a child named Nursat Jahan, 5, daughter of Refatul Alam of that area, went missing. Five days later, her body was found in the river.
Locals said that although it has been almost six years, no initiative has been taken to repair or rebuild the bridge. The bridge, adjacent to Kharija Betagi Secondary School in Mridha Bazar area of Zamir, was an easy communication link for the residents of more than 11 villages in that area. Now, they are forced to cross the river by riding in small boats.
According to Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) sources, the bridge was constructed at a cost of Tk10 lakh in the financial year 2014-15. However, after hitting by the cargo about 25 feet in the middle of the 150-foot-long bridge, made of RCC concrete cast plates on iron beams, fell into the river.
Due to collapse of the bridge the attendance rate of students in local educational institutions has reduced as the students are crossing the river on small boats with risks and panic among both students and their parents.
There is also a community clinic called Kharija Betagi in the area. Due to the collapse of the bridge, the number of women and children who went for services, has decreased.
In this regard, Betagi Sankipur union parishad Chairman Moshiur Rahman Jhantu said that the common people are suffering due to the absence of the bridge of Betagi-Sankipur union. The UP chairman demanded a strong iron bridge on the river for traffic instead of girder bridge.
Dasmina upazila engineer Mokbul Hossain said that the new bridge cannot be constructed due to erosion of soil on both sides of the river.