Friday | 10 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
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Friday | 10 January 2025 | Epaper

Lakhs of people suffer for bridge collapse in Laxmipur

Published : Tuesday, 26 November, 2024 at 12:00 AM  Count : 136
Mohiuddin Bhuiyan Murad
 
LAXMIPUR, Nov 25: Lakhs of people including students have been suffering because of the collapse of a bridge in the district on November 17. 

Thousands of women, men and school-going children are travelling on the bridge over the Rahmatkhali Canal, which is about a hundred feet long and has broken into several sections, risking their lives every day.
The collapsed bridge set up on the canal has collapsed again, and there is a fear of many accidents including loss of life.

The bridge is very important adjacent to Kofil Uddin Degree College under Chandraganj Police Station in the eastern part of the district. 

It is located west of Chandraganj Bazar, one of the business centres and suburbs along the Raipur-Chowmuhani-Dhaka highway. Lakhs of people of different professions from five unions of southern region including Charshahi, Kushakhali, Basurhat, and Laharkandi are travelling through the bridge over the Rahmatkhali Canal on the Chandraganj-Charshahi road. Due to the closure of the gas line that passes under the bridge, many families are facing water crisis for cooking.

Apart from this, people have been travelling to different places of the country including Noakhali and Feni on this route. But the bridge was not maintained due to indifference of the authorities even though it was dangerous from the east. By chance, there was no major accident as a result of the collapse with loud noise.  

Badsha Miah of the area said that the bridge, built in 1980-81, collapsed due to the shifting of the soil under the wall. The bridge was built during the previous military ruler Ershad. Proper construction materials were not used in it.

Around 10,000 students from Kofil Uddin Degree College, Pratapganj Multipurpose High School, government primary schools, mosques and madrasas are travelling on this bridge. 

The students and teachers said that due to the collapse of the bridge, the daily teaching is disrupted for the students to travel. About two weeks have passed since the collapse of the bridge, but authorities concerned have not taken action so far.
 
Israt Jahan, 11, a child student of the local Pratapganj Government Primary School, goes to school on the bridge with her mother every day. She said,  "I am very scared to go to school through the broken bridge".  

"We, hundreds of students, are travelling through the broken bridge, said Ankhi Aktar of 8th class of Pratapganj Bahumukhi High School. 

Helal Uddin, former principal of Chandraganj Kofil Degree College, said that the bridge was not maintained due to the negligence of the authorities. This bridge is the only hope to go south.

Abu Sufian, a local auto driver, said, "Due to the collapse of the bridge, we are now almost at a standstill. I have been unemployed since the collapse of the bridge. I am struggling to run the family".

In this regard, Sadar Upazila Local Government Engineer Jahangir Kabir said, the matter has been informed to the higher authorities. A bailey bridge might be constructed there on an urgent basis.

On the other hand, when Ikramul Haque, executive engineer of Local Government Engineering Department, was contacted, he said, the bridge is too old. We will make a new bridge there. But he expressed his inability to give details. 



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