Even after four long years, the construction work on the Khasiamara Bridge in Doarabazar upazila of Sunamganj has not been completed yet.
According to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), work on the bridge has been going on at a snail’s pace due to the contractor’s negligence. Moreover, contractor Shankar Roy has reportedly been missing for the past six months. As a result, several thousand residents are suffering a lot as people are forced to cross the river using a rope-guided boat.
LGED sources said the construction work on the bridge in the Alipur–Tengratila area of Surma union began on 2 February 2022. The construction cost for the 75-metre PC girder bridge at the 500-metre chainage was set at Tk4.27 crore. However, the project has been going at a snail’s pace since the very beginning.
Local residents allege that the contractor has been careless from the start. If work is carried out for two consecutive days, there is no sign of the contractor or his workers for the next two months. The project has been completely halted for the last six months.
Jamal Uddin, a lecturer at Bogula Rosmat Ali Ramsundar School and College, said, “Every day we risk our lives to cross the mighty Khasiamara River by pulling a rope-guided boat. No one knows when the bridge will be completed.”
Rokeya Begum, a housewife living in Alipur village, said, “Crossing the river by boat is extremely difficult. When it rains or when the current is strong, it becomes terrifying.”
Yasmin, a student of Tengra High School, said, “Since the bridge is not completed, we have to take risks crossing the river by boat to go to school. During the monsoon, the strong current makes boat crossings very frightening.”
Seeking anonymity, an official of the Doarabazar LGED office said, “The bridge work has been halted for a long time due to the contractor’s negligence. Otherwise, the bridge would have been completed two years ago.”
Despite frequent efforts over phone, the contractor Shankar Roy could not be reached for his comments on the issue.
Anwar Hossain, Executive Engineer of Sunamganj LGED, told the Dhaka Tribune that 75% of the construction has already been completed. Only two guard walls and one slab remain incomplete. He said that the contractor’s workers would return to work by next Monday. Admitting the delay, he said the strong current in the river had slowed the construction work. He also said that the work on the approach road would start within two months once the bridge construction is completed.