Thousands of people of 21 villages under two upazilas of Barguna have been suffering a lot for years for want of a permanent bridge over a canal.
In absence of a permanent bridge, a 200-metre-long bamboo bridge over Charakgachhia Canal in Taltali upazila has been the only way of road communication for people those village, much to the suffering of local residents.
Villagers have to cross the risky bridge to travel to different areas including Taltali and Amtali upazila headquarters. Villagers said about 20,000 residents of Pachankodalia, Arpangashia, Chandkhali, Kalarang and Ghopkhali villages under Amtali upazila and several other villages under Taltali upazila use the bamboo bridge to go to their destinations every day.
Local residents built the 200-metre-long bamboo bridge at their own initiative about 25 years ago.
Prior to setting up the makeshift bridge, villagers used to cross the canal by small boats. Villagers said as there are several primary, secondary and higher secondary schools on either side of the makeshift bridge, around 500 students of different educational institutions use the bridge, amid risk.
Shahidul Islam, a resident of Charakgachhia village, said they have to face serious difficulties while taking their agricultural products to nearly local markets by crossing the long bamboo bridge. As a result, they have to travel five-kilometre additional path to carry their agricultural goods through alternative route, which costs them extra time and money, he added.
Alif Raihan, a Class VIII student at Charakgachhia Secondary School, said fear grip them when they cross the risky bridge to go to their school every day.
Pachakodalia Union Parishad (UP) Chairman Abdul Razzak said he has urged the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) authorities to build a permanent bridge over Charakgachhia Canal, but to no avail. Taltali LGED Upazila Engineer Imtiaz Hossain Russell said soon a project proposal for construction of a concrete bridge over the canal will sent to the higher authorities for approval.
