A newly constructed bridge lies unused at East Sujaitpur village in Sonatala upazila of Bogra due to a lack of approach roads on both sides, causing immense suffering for local residents.
According to sources, the bridge was recently built by the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief at East Sujaitpur village. Although construction work on the bridge has been completed, no earth filling has been carried out to connect the adjoining roads, rendering it ineffective for transportation.
As a result, people living in the char areas are unable to use the route for daily commuting. Farmers are also facing difficulties in transporting their agricultural produce to local markets.
Local residents said that more than 50,000 people from at least 14 surrounding villages depend on this road and bridge for their daily movement. A large number of students also use the route to go to schools and colleges. Additionally, farmers rely on this road to carry their crops to nearby markets. The lack of approach roads has therefore led to considerable public suffering.
When contacted, Sonatala Upazila Project Implementation Officer Refaul Azam said that the bridge construction has not yet been fully completed. He also mentioned that the surrounding paddy fields have made it difficult to source soil for the approach roads.
However, he added that the contractor has been instructed to expedite the earth-filling work to ease public suffering ahead of the upcoming monsoon season.