Barishal Correspondent :
People are crossing the river on a bamboo-wooden bridge on foot after the iron bridge was collapsed by a hit from an engine boat in Jhalokathi district six years ago on 11 December 2019.
The bridge has not been renovated since then. As a result, direct road communication between Rajapur and the neighbouring Kaukhali Upazila and Jhalokathi Sadar Upazila remains closed.
In this regard, Shahidul Islam Sarkar, Executive Engineer of Jhalokathi LGED, said that the matter has been officially identified.
An estimate will be prepared, and allocation will be sought. Once the allocation is received, work will commence through tender, the engineer added.
Locals said a 225-foot-long iron bridge collapsed after being hit by an engine boat carrying timber on the Sandhya River adjacent to Talukdar Hat in Shuktaghar Union of Rajapur Upazila under Jhalokathi district.
At that time, the boat was crushed under the bridge, but no casualties were reported.
The people of at least 30 local villages across three upazilas have been suffering due to the closure of all types of vehicles, including passenger cars and motorcycles.
In particular, hundreds of students from seven educational institutions in the area are facing extreme hardship in their daily commute.
