Bridge built without connecting road in Gangni : People of two districts suffering
Ziaul Islam Saju, Gangni (Meherpur)
A girder bridge built at a cost of about 75 million taka over the Mathabhanga River flowing near the Kol Gheghe of Gangni upazila of Meherpur has been lying unused for a long time. Six years have passed since the construction of the bridge began, but lakhs of people of the two districts are facing extreme suffering due to the lack of a connecting road.
According to the Upazila LGED office sources, a 75-meter-long girder bridge was constructed over the Mathabhanga River in the Madhugari Ghat area from Bamondi HD in Gangni Upazila to Pragpur GC Road in Daulatpur Upazila of Kushtia in the 2019-2020 fiscal year. The cost of the bridge was 72.932 million taka. Although the construction work of the bridge was completed in 2023, it has not yet been made usable.
It is learnt that although the construction of the connecting road in the Daulatpur part of Kushtia has been completed, the bridge is in a defunct state due to the construction of about 200 feet of connecting road in the Gangni part. As a result, residents of Gangni and Daulatpur upazilas have to travel 7 to 8 kilometers.
Locals said that if the bridge were operational, communication between the two upazilas would be easier and there would be great benefits in trade, education and healthcare. But due to the lack of a connecting road, they are being deprived of the expected benefits. This is increasing both time and cost.
Abdus Samad, a farmer from Madhugari village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia, said that he has been crossing the river for a long time to work in the fields of Betbaria village in Gangni. Earlier, boats were used to cross the Mathabhanga river, but after the construction of the bridge, the boat traffic stopped. He said, the bridge has been built, but now there is more suffering than before because there is no connecting road. We have to cross the bridge constantly taking risks.
Nayan Islam, a sales company representative in the Bamondi area of Gangni, said, "I thought the bridge would reduce the suffering. But since there is no connecting road, we are still suffering. We have to push motorcycles and bicycles across. Many people are facing extreme hardship while taking risks while transporting small vehicles. If there was a connecting road, our suffering would have reduced a lot."
Nurul Islam, a mason from Tekala village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia, has made the same complaint. He said, "I have been working as a mason for a long time. Earlier, there were boats, but after the bridge was built, the boats no longer ply. Now, to go to work in the Gangni area, we have to travel 7-8 miles. So what benefit did the people get from the construction of the bridge?"
According to the upazila administration, the work is stalled due to complications in acquiring the land required for the connecting road. The construction of the connecting road could not be started for a long time due to lack of agreement with the land owners. However, the concerned officials said that work is underway to quickly resolve the problem.
Gangni Upazila LGED Engineer Rokonuzzaman said, "The construction work of the bridge over the Mathabhanga River has been completed long ago. The work of the connecting road can start only after the land acquisition process is completed. Then the suffering of the people will be reduced."
Meanwhile, locals have demanded that the bridge be made suitable for traffic by constructing a quick connection road. According to them, it is unacceptable for the crore-taka bridge to remain unusable for years due to the lack of a road in a small section.
