Despite the long 50 years of independence, due to the lack of a bridge over the Chandana River in Muralikhola village under Kalukhali upazila of Rajbari district, millions of people in 10/15 villages are deprived of basic rights including medical, education and employment facilities. Although the people's representatives of the area assured the villagers, even today the slightest development has not taken place.
The only hope for the villagers to come to the upazila from the char area of the river Padma is the bamboo bridge built on their own initiative. The bridge has been broken for a long time. The people of Padma Char are moving through the bridge which is unsuitable for movement.
Due to the difficulty of transportation, it is extremely difficult to bring the crops produced in the heart of the char to the upazila. The agricultural economy of the char region is lagging behind. Besides, the students are in trouble to go to the educational institution for teaching. Charbasi is struggling to bring the sick patient to the Upazila or Sadar Hospital. This bridge is located on the banks of river Padma. This bridge is the only way to reach the upazila with 15 villages across the river. Hundreds of thousands of disadvantaged people in the char areas of Padma are passing through the bridge which is about one and half feet wide.
The locals claimed that if there is an official bridge in place of the bridge, there will be no such misery. A concrete bridge suitable for transportation will increase the quality of life and the wheel of economy will turn.
During the dry season, the water of Padma River dries up. Areas along the river are submerged during the monsoon season. When the water level of Padma rises, both ends of the bridge are submerged in water. People in the area then have to go by boat.
Talking to the locals, it is known that thousands of people use this bridge every day.
Hundreds of students from 10-15 villages go to school using this risky bamboo bridge. The villages are Murarikhola, West Harua, Madhabpur, Harinbaria, Baghjhampa, Bhagalpur, Laskardia, Salepur, Krishnagar, Sadarchar and a few others.
Going to the spot, it is seen that there are two grocery shops at the crossroads of Murarikhola village in Ratandia union of Kalukhali upazila of Rajbari city protection embankment. On the opposite side of the shop, a dirt road has come down. Fifty yards ahead of the road is a long bamboo bridge. The length of the bridge is about one hundred and fifty meters.
After crossing the bridge, the road is crooked. Horizon pairs of crop fields on either side of the dirt road. Mustard has been cultivated after the water receded from the Padma.
Golam Mostafa, a resident of West Harua village, said that people from 10 to 15 villages use this bamboo bridge every day. In particular, hundreds of students travel in the morning and afternoon.
They have a lot of problems during the rainy season. This is because the bamboo bridges and some roads towards the char are submerged in water.
Then the students have to go by boat once in the morning. They have to be taken home after the holidays. If there was a bridge, the road would be better. It would be very convenient for everyone.
Nikhil Chandra Biswas, a resident of Murarikhola village, said the crop is very good in the char areas. All kinds of crops are planted. But since there is no permanent bridge, the crop has to be brought to the head. But if there was a good system of transportation, the local farmers would benefit a lot.
In addition to manual labor, there would be less financial and time wastage. Moreover, it costs a lot of money to build a bamboo bridge. Three or four years in a row, new bamboo bridges have to be made.
Rajib Kumar Sarkar, headmaster of Rupsha Medha Choyan Academy, said, “Our school is located next to the embankment. The number of schools is less in the char areas affected by river erosion. Every day more than a hundred students from the Char area travel this route for study.
Ratandia Union Parishad chairman Mehedi Hachina Parveen Nilufa said there was a school next to the bamboo bridge. The school is in the inner part of the embankment on the river bank. Many students travel on bamboo bridges every day. People from a few villages inside the dam go to harvest. Again the people of Padmapar bring the crop for sale.
Kalukhali Upazila Engineer Touhidul Haque Joyaddar said, "We are aware of the issue of crossing the bridge. Preliminary activities are underway in this regard.”
Kalukhali Upazila Chairman Md Alimuzzaman Chowdhury Tito said that as there is a high school there, a bridge is actually needed and a proposal has been sent to LGED. Hopefully the bridge will be done very soon.
Kalukhali Upazila Nirbahi Officer Atiqul Islam said, "I am aware of this matter and I have also visited the bamboo bridge. Hopefully a bridge will be built here. The bridge then will alleviate the suffering of the people of the area.