S A Shofiee, Sylhet:
The fast-flowing Kushiyara River flows between two upazilas of Greater Sylhet. Thousands of people have to cross this river every day. Despite demanding the construction of a bridge on this river for a long time, the locals are not getting any benefit. Therefore, for ages, the only hope for crossing the river is boats. The sooner a bridge is built over the Kushiyara River in Balaganj, the faster the quality of life of the people here will change. The civic amenities of the people of the two upazilas are stuck in a bridge. If the transportation system is improved, the wheel of fate of the people here will change. If the bridge is built, the education, housing, medical care, business and commerce of the people of Balaganj Upazila of Sylhet and Rajnagar Upazila of Moulvibazar will be developed. More than a million people of the two upazilas are suffering extremely due to the lack of a bridge. And if this bridge is built, the door to a direct ‘bridge connection’ between Balaganj and Rajnagar upazilas will be opened.
Locals said that people from several unions including Fatehpur, Uttarbhag, Panchgaon, Munshibazar, Rajnagar Sadar Union in Rajnagar upazila have access to Balaganj. Similarly, people from Balaganj also have access to Rajnagar. Students from schools and colleges in Rajnagar have been crossing the river to study in educational institutions in Balaganj. But the suffering has become extreme due to the lack of a bridge or ferry. For now, even a ferry would have eased the suffering.
After BNP came to power in 2001, MP M Saifur Rahman, elected from Moulvibazar-3 constituency, became the Minister of Finance and Planning. Towards the end of the government, there was a demand to build a bridge on the Kushiara River. Although M Saifur Rahman gave assurances, BNP lost power. Later, during the Awami League government, the demand for a bridge also became strong. MPs from both areas raised this demand in the National Parliament. Despite repeated assurances and surveys, no initiative has been taken to build a bridge. Political leaders have only had to listen to assurances for almost three decades. According to relevant sources, although the demand for a bridge on the river has been long-standing, the initial approval for the operation of the ferry was given due to the long delay in implementing it. But after the approval, the suffering of the people of the two upazilas does not seem to be ending as the ferry has not been started. On January 24, 2023, a letter from the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges mentioned that an administrative approval has been issued for the establishment of a new ferry ghat under the Road and Highways Department on the Kushiyara River at the 17th kilometer of the Rajnagar in Moulvibazar and Balaganj Z-2017 road in Sylhet.
This order was given to the Chief Engineer of Roads and Highways in a letter signed by Tina Pal, Senior Assistant Secretary of the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges. Even after this order, no initiative has been taken to establish the ferry.
Meanwhile, with a view to starting the ferry service after a long delay, on the afternoon of September 8, Moulvibazar Roads Division (SOD) Executive Engineer Kaiser Hamid and officials of the Roads and Bridges Division visited the proposed ferry ghat site near the sluice gate in Balaganj Bazar area and in Kheyaghat Bazar area of ​​Fatepur Union of Rajnagar Upazila. Balaganj Upazila Executive Officer Sujit Kumar Chanda, Balaganj Union Parishad Chairman Abdul Munim, Balaganj Bazar Merchants Association President Maqbul Mia and people from different walks of life were present here.
During the site visit, RHD Executive Engineer Kaiser Hamid told reporters that the tender process will be completed and work will start once the project proposal sent for starting the ferry service is approved, which will take about a month and a half.
