Villagers languish in absence of complete bridge

Ishwardi (Pabna) Correspondent :

The contractor has stopped the construction of the bridge for two years. People of 10 villages in the remote grasslands of Ishwardi have been suffering a lot. As the work has stopped for a long time, the rods of the under-construction bridge have rusted. Local residents have demanded that the work of the bridge be completed quickly.
On April 4, 2021, the construction of a 96-meter long bridge over the Padma branch river at Charkurlia village of Lakshikunda union of the upazila began at a cost of eight crore taka. Although the construction of the bridge was supposed to be completed on October 8, 2022, no work was done except for the installation of pillars. The engineering office has already extended the working hours till December 18, 2024. Residents have blamed the upazila engineering office for the negligence of the contractor.
Vegetables and other crops grown on thousands of hectares of land in the vast expanses of Padma are transported to and from Ishwardi and Pabna cities through this route. As there is no bridge, one has to risk crossing the river by boat and raft during rainy season. During the dry season, no vehicles except cow/buffalo carts can cross the steep banks of the river. There is great suffering in bringing and taking crops. After the completion of the construction of the bridge, apart from a few villages of Lakshikunda, Charabbanipur village of Pabna Sadar upazila and seven villages of Sadipur union of Kushtia Kumarkhali upazila on the banks of the Padma will be accessible to the people of the area, the locals said.
About the construction of the bridge, Ishwardi LGED office sources said that although Jessore’s ICL Private Limited is the main contractor for the construction of the bridge, some contractors including Ful Mia, Joy, Nuruzzaman Khokon are working as sub-contractors.