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Wednesday | October 14, 2026 | Dhaka
Crossing a canal via bamboo walkway

Munshirhat Bridge remains incomplete after two years

 Monohargonj (Cumilla)
 Published: 12:01 AM, 13 October 2026
Residents are seen taking risks while crossing a canal on a temporary bamboo walkway beside an incomplete bridge on the Munshirhat-Banduain road in North Fenua, Monohargonj upazila, Cumilla. The photo was taken on Sunday.

Residents in the North Fenua area of Monohargonj Upazila in Cumilla are facing immense suffering as construction of a bridge over a canal on the Munshirhat-Banduain road remains incomplete more than two years after work began.

The prolonged delay has become a major source of public suffering. Local businesspeople, transport workers and passengers are urgently demanding the completion of the bridge to restore vehicular movement on this busy road.

A visit to the site revealed that pedestrians were crossing the canal using a temporary bamboo walkway built alongside the under-construction bridge. Some were carrying bicycles on their shoulders, while others were crossing with children in their arms, putting themselves at considerable risk.

Affected residents said vehicular movement along the road had been suspended for a long time because the approach roads to the bridge had not been filled with earth. Local people took the initiative to build the bamboo walkway to cross the canal.

Passengers are forced to change rickshaws or CNG-run auto-rickshaws on either side of the bridge. To avoid this hassle, some people travel an additional seven to eight kilometres to bypass a stretch that would normally require a journey of only half a kilometre.

When contacted, Monohargonj Upazila Engineer of LGED Md Kamal Hossain said construction of the bridge was almost complete and it would become usable by vehicles once the approach roads were filled with earth.

He said the contractor’s work order had been cancelled because the project was not completed within the stipulated time. However, to ease public suffering, the contracting firm was being instructed to complete the earthwork on the approach roads as quickly as possible.

The prolonged delay has caused severe hardship for residents of nearby villages, including Uttarhawla Uttar, Uttar Fenua, Dakshin Fenua, Banduain and Munshirhat. Local trade and commerce have also been severely affected.

According to Monohargonj Upazila Engineer at the upazila office of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the project was undertaken under the Cyclone Amphan and Flood-Damaged Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project at a cost of Tk 1.61 crore.

Construction of the bridge in the North Fenua area of Uttarhawla Union began on June 30, 2024, and was scheduled for completion by June 6, 2025. However, despite the passage of the scheduled completion date, the work remains unfinished.

Local residents said they eventually informed local Member of Parliament Md Abul Kalam about their suffering. Taking the matter seriously, the MP visited the site about six months ago and directed the authorities concerned to expedite the work. Following his intervention, the main bridge deck was finally completed.

However, despite the progress, the bridge remains unusable because the approach roads have yet to be filled with earth. Residents are now demanding the immediate completion of the approach roads to restore normal movement.

Roni, a local resident of North Fenua, said the two-year delay had caused extreme difficulties for commuters. School and madrasa students have been particularly affected, as they have to cross the steep bamboo walkway carrying heavy schoolbags.

He said a temporary diversion road had been constructed for light vehicles at the beginning of the project, but it was washed away and became unusable within a few months when the canal filled with water. Since then, public suffering has continued unabated.

At least 20 accidents involving CNG-run auto-rickshaws and motorcycles have occurred at the site, he added. While crossing the area is difficult during the day, it becomes particularly dangerous at night.