BAUPHAL, PATUAKHALI, Apr 9: Residents of Sultanabad and Ramnagar villages in Nazirpur Union, Bauphal Upazila, are facing severe hardship as a vital connecting bridge remains unrepaired years after collapsing.
The iron bridge over the Sultanabad-Ramnagar Canal broke in 2020 when one of its slabs gave way, halting vehicular movement and cutting off direct access to Nurainpur Baazar in Suryamani Union.
The bridge is crucial for thousands of students from Ramnagar Salehia Dakhil Madrasa, Sultanabad Islamia Dakhil Madrasa, Dhandi Bahadurpur Government Primary School, Engineer Faruk Talukder Women's College, and Nurainpur College. Every day, they risk their lives crossing the broken structure.
Local youth Mansur Ahmed Naim said, villagers sometimes lay wooden planks to make the bridge passable, but these makeshift fixes collapse within days. "The authorities remain indifferent, leaving thousands of people in unbearable suffering. Repair or reconstruction is urgently needed," he said.
Abdul Karim, an auto-rickshaw driver, lamented that his livelihood has been destroyed. "Without the bridge, we cannot transport agricultural produce to markets. Vehicles cannot pass, and our income has dried up. The bridge must be repaired immediately," he urged.
Records show the bridge was originally built in 2006 by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED). It collapsed about six years ago, but no initiative was taken to restore it.
LGED's Bauphal Upazila Engineer, Arjurul Haque, acknowledged the problem, saying: "We will soon inspect the bridge and inform higher authorities."
For now, however, the people of Sultanabad and Ramnagar remain trapped in uncertainty, demanding swift action to end their ordeal.
