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Usable bridge turns risky

Railings, girder walls broken down for new ones but further work remains suspended for 6 months due to 'non-allocation'offund

Our Correspondent, Magura
People and vehicles cross the old bridge at Dhoail on Magura-Mohammadpur road, the only link between Mohammadpur upazila with the district headquarters, amid high risk as the railing and guard walls of the bridge were broken down about six months ago as preparation to construct a new one.
Meanwhile, works for the new bridge measuring 18 metres in length and 5.5 metres in width is yet to begin.
“Before breaking down of the railings and guard walls of the bridge, I did not feel any difficulty to run vehicles over it, but at present panic of accident seizes me whenever I cross it,” said Shahabuddin, a truck driver.
“Left without railings and
guard walls, the bridge starts swinging whenever a vehicle crosses it," said Shahidul Islam, a government official who regularly travels to his working place at Magura from Mohammadpur upazila headquarters.
On May 25 this year, the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in Magura appointed Harun-ar-Rashid, a listed contractor in Magura, for constructing eight bridges including that at Dhoail on roads covering 58 kilometres from Magura Sadar upazila to Lohagara upazila in Narail district via Mohammadpur upazila headquarters, RHD sources said.
The cost for the eight bridges were estimated atTk 4 crore 83 lakh 85 thousand and those were scheduled to be completed in 18 months from the work orders given, the sources added.
At first the contractor initiated work for the bridge at Dhoail and before start of the rainy season early June, workers appointed by him made a diversion road and broke down the railings and guard walls of the bridge as preparation to construct a new bridge there, said sources in RHD and locals.
But with the arrival of rains the diversion road was washed away by the strong current of the canal water under the bridge and the construction workers left the site, they said.
The work has remained halted since then.
Admitting the vulnerable condition of the bridge, Fayez Ahmed, sub-divisional engineer (SDE) of RHD in Magura, said they would arrange 'decking system' on the bridge till construction of the diversion road there to facilitate
smooth passing of vehicles.
When asked why the usable bridge was damaged before confirming smooth completion of its reconstruction, the SDE requested this correspondent to talk to the contractor.
When contacted, contractor Harun-ar-Rashid said, "I had to stop the construction work due to unavailability of fund. Starting construction of the new bridge remains uncertain as the RHD is yet to allocate fund for it." He however assured repair of the diversion road within a couple of days.
Contacted over cell phone, Executive Engineer of Magura RHD Mohammad Shahjahan said, “We have already ordered the contractor to start the construction work of the bridge and it will begin within the shortest possible time.”