No bridge built in 50yrs to connect 10 Rangpur villages
Government offices continue dilly dallying over allocation of Tk65 lakh to build the bridge
Thousands of people are forced to use a temporary bridge due to lack of a concrete one at Kalarghat of Taraganj in Rangpur Dhaka Tribune
Liakat Ali Badal, Rangpur
Publish : 21 Jan 2022, 08:10 PMUpdate : 21 Jan 2022, 08:10 PM
In a cruel example of negligence, ten villages in Rangpur have remained neglected for nearly half a century, as authorities looked the other way when it came to building a concrete bridge on the Jamuneswari River.
The woes of thousands of villagers could have been eased and their economic conditions improved significantly spending only Tk6,500,000, had a bridge been built at Kalarghat area of the river, say locals.
Over the years, they have collected donations to construct, repair, and rebuild the bamboo bridge that connects the villages with Taraganj Sadar Upazila.
However, this makeshift bridge is not sturdy enough to handle vehicles other than bicycles and motorbikes. So, people have to walk, or take a longer route to reach Taraganj.
And, during the monsoon, locals cross the river by using small boats made of banana plants and small boats.
As a result, farmers in the area do not get the fair price for their produce, since it is impossible to travel to the markets.
Meanwhile, getting to their classrooms has been challenging for the children of these villages, as they have to travel an additional 10 kilometers to attend classes.
The scenario turns tragic when someone falls sick and needs immediate hospitalization.
Even the public servants and office bearers of the local government bodies do not visit the area due to lack of roads and a concrete bridge to cross the river.
Disheartened by the reluctance of the authorities and breaking of promises by politicians, locals have now decided to obstruct holding any polls in the area before a concrete bridge is built.
Locals of Kalarghat village have complained that many political leaders in their area promised to build the bridge consistently, but have never shown up in the area after they got elected.
“The construction of the bridge is halted due to the lack of funds,” said Sayar Union Parishad Chairman Al-Ibadat Hossain Pilot.
“We sought allocation for the bridge many times in the past, but to no avail,” he added.
Taraganj Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Engineer Ahmed Haider Zaman said that they had sent a letter to the ministry concerned requesting Tk6,500,000 for the bridge, but were yet to get a green signal.
No bridge built in 50yrs to connect 10 Rangpur villages
Government offices continue dilly dallying over allocation of Tk65 lakh to build the bridge
In a cruel example of negligence, ten villages in Rangpur have remained neglected for nearly half a century, as authorities looked the other way when it came to building a concrete bridge on the Jamuneswari River.
The woes of thousands of villagers could have been eased and their economic conditions improved significantly spending only Tk6,500,000, had a bridge been built at Kalarghat area of the river, say locals.
Over the years, they have collected donations to construct, repair, and rebuild the bamboo bridge that connects the villages with Taraganj Sadar Upazila.
However, this makeshift bridge is not sturdy enough to handle vehicles other than bicycles and motorbikes. So, people have to walk, or take a longer route to reach Taraganj.
And, during the monsoon, locals cross the river by using small boats made of banana plants and small boats.
As a result, farmers in the area do not get the fair price for their produce, since it is impossible to travel to the markets.
Meanwhile, getting to their classrooms has been challenging for the children of these villages, as they have to travel an additional 10 kilometers to attend classes.
The scenario turns tragic when someone falls sick and needs immediate hospitalization.
Even the public servants and office bearers of the local government bodies do not visit the area due to lack of roads and a concrete bridge to cross the river.
Disheartened by the reluctance of the authorities and breaking of promises by politicians, locals have now decided to obstruct holding any polls in the area before a concrete bridge is built.
Locals of Kalarghat village have complained that many political leaders in their area promised to build the bridge consistently, but have never shown up in the area after they got elected.
“The construction of the bridge is halted due to the lack of funds,” said Sayar Union Parishad Chairman Al-Ibadat Hossain Pilot.
“We sought allocation for the bridge many times in the past, but to no avail,” he added.
Taraganj Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Engineer Ahmed Haider Zaman said that they had sent a letter to the ministry concerned requesting Tk6,500,000 for the bridge, but were yet to get a green signal.