Mostafizar Rahman Jahangir, Phulbari (Kurigram)

Even after nearly four years, the construction of a bridge over Talertala Chhara in Bhangamor Union, Phulbari Upazila, Kurigram, remains incomplete. As a result, residents on both sides of the chhara are facing severe problems in crossing it. The contractor has only built the walls at both ends of the bridge, with the main construction work still pending.

According to information and video footage sent by Phulbari, Kurigram correspondent to The Country Today , locals are frustrated, questioning that if it takes four years to build just the walls at both ends, how many more years will it take to complete the entire bridge? However, the Upazila Engineer claims that the construction is ongoing and expects the bridge to be fully completed by the next dry season.

Sources from the local engineering department indicate that in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the construction of a 42-meter-long and 5.5-meter-wide bridge over Bhangamor Chhara was initiated under the Rural Infrastructure Development Project. The estimated cost for the bridge is 2 crore 84 lakh 11 thousand 47 taka and 15 paisa. The contractor, Construction Jahurul Haque Dulal, Kurigram, with Md. Roni overseeing the project, began work on 19 April 2021 According to the contract, the bridge was supposed to be completed by April 18 of the following year. However, more than four years later, the work remains unfinished.

Hundreds of people, including women and children, are risking their lives crossing the chhara on makeshift drum rafts alongside the incomplete bridge. Locals report frequent near-accidents during these crossings, which have also adversely affected their livelihoods. Residents like Hashem Ali, Emdadul Haque, and Anshar Ali stated that their homes are on one side of the chhara, while their agricultural lands are on the other. They must cross repeatedly for farming purposes, and the small rafts make this a constant struggle. The situation worsens during harvest season, as people scramble to transport crops home on these small rafts, often leading to disputes.

They further noted that the absence of the bridge is causing extreme hardship for people of various professions in the area, urging swift completion of the construction. Local schoolteacher Abu Taleb Sarker highlighted that around 20,000 people in the region are suffering due to the lack of a bridge, impacting education, healthcare, business, and agriculture. He demanded the rapid completion of the bridge to alleviate public distress.

Local Union Parishad Member Abdul Malek said, “Although construction of the bridge began, no alternative arrangements were made for people to cross. I personally arranged a drum raft, but it’s insufficient, and the locals continue to suffer.”

Despite multiple attempts to contact the contractor, Md. Roni, who is overseeing the project for Construction Jahurul Haque Dulal, Kurigram, he did not answer calls.

Upazila Engineer Mamunur Rahman said “I’ve been in this upazila for about two years. Since joining, I’ve been working diligently to complete the bridge. The contractor is also keen to finish the work. However, due to the depth of the water, constructing the middle pillars has been challenging. We hope the bridge will be fully completed in the next dry season.