MOHSIN MILON, Benapole

Residents of some 25 villages have been suffering immensely with their daily commute since the dilapidated wooden bridge over the Teka river in Jashore collapsed last year.

The bridge is a vital link for communication between Abhaynagar and Monirampur upazilas in Jashore.

Due to prolonged lack of maintenance, the bridge had long been in a vulnerable condition, before it eventually collapsed following persistent rainfall last year.

At present, vehicular movement remains suspended while pedestrians have to cross the bridge at much risk.

Students, elderly people, patients, and traders have been the most affected.

Locals said with the bridge largely unusable now, people are forced to travel an additional 10-12 kilometres using alternative routes.

“People from 25-30 neighbouring villages, as well as those from Keshabpur upazila in Jashore, Dumuria and Paikgachha in Khulna, and parts of Satkhira have been using the Nawapara–Monirampur road via the Teka bridge as the route is comparatively shorter,” said Nazrul Islam, a local resident.

Over a hundred female students of Tekarghat Secondary Girls’ School in Monirampur currently risk their lives while crossing the broken structure during their commute, he also said, adding that transporting emergency patients to hospitals and agricultural produce to nearby markets has become extremely difficult.

Construction of a concrete bridge over the Teka river had begun on September 13, 2021, with a budget of Tk 7.57 crore, but legal complications prompted suspension of the project after around 80 percent work was completed.

Shariful Islam of Payra village said the wooden bridge was vital for around 25,000 to 30,000 local people, and called for its urgent repair.

Joydeb Kumar from Pachakori village in Monirampur said he had to travel nearly 20km to take his ailing wife to the hospital, facing significant delays and hassles.

Md Firoz Ahmed, former chairman of Payra Union Parishad, said the bridge’s collapse has disrupted daily life.

Abhaynagar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Salauddin Dipu said Tk 3 lakh has been allocated from a development project to repair the wooden bridge and work will begin soon.