A bridge built at a cost of nearly Tk 7 crore to improve communication in Barisal’s Wazirpur upazila has remained largely unused, forcing villagers to climb bamboo ladders to cross the bridge.
The 44.6-metre girder bridge over a branch of the Sandhya River in Dhamura was completed more than a year ago. But the approach road has yet to be built due to a land dispute, leaving the bridge disconnected from the road network.
Jamal Talukder, vice-president of Wazirpur Upazila BNP, said the bridge had been lying unused for about one and a half years due to the missing approach road. “People are risking their lives by using ladders to cross the bridge, but there seems to be no one to look into their suffering,” he said.
Swapan Mallick, general secretary of Upazila Krishak Dal, said villagers were facing severe difficulties because they could not properly use the bridge. “The bridge has effectively become a death trap because there is no connecting road,” he said.
Residents said they had expected the bridge to end their long-standing communication problems. Once opened, it would provide easier access to Sholok, Batajor and surrounding areas, while facilitating the transport of agricultural produce.
Land dispute stalls approach road
Abdur Rob Howlader, who claims ownership of land needed for the approach road, said he had objected to using his property during construction. He said engineers assured him that the required land would be acquired according to government rules. However, after completion of the bridge, attempts were made to use the land without ensuring compensation, he alleged.
His son, Masum Howlader, said they had approached the court over the dispute and submitted a written complaint against the upazila engineer.
Social worker Mohammad Enayet Sharif, however, said the disputed stretch was part of a registered upazila road. He said land records and other documents had been checked before the project was designed.
Wazirpur Assistant Commissioner (Land) Maheshwar Mondal said the current BS survey records the land as a road, but a final decision could not be made until the gazette was published. He advised the parties to seek legal remedies.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ali Suja said the approach road had been delayed because of the land dispute and that the matter had been brought to the attention of higher authorities.
According to LGED, the bridge was built under the World Bank-funded Rural Bridge Support Program at a cost of Tk6,83,39,535. Construction work began on July 17, 2023, with February 13, 2025 set as the contractual completion deadline.
