A 40-metre girder bridge built over the Nariyapara canal in Netrakona Sadar upazila has remained unused for two years as approach roads on both ends are yet to be constructed.
The bridge was built by the Local Government Engineering Department at a cost of Tk 3.44 crore to connect the road between Kaliyara Gabragati Union Parishad and Kumarpur ferry ghat.
The road is the only route for around 12,000 residents of some 12 to 14 nearby villages to travel to destinations in the union parishad and district town.
Without the approach roads, the bridge serves no purpose. As a result, many people have been suffering during their daily commute.
According to the Netrakona LGED office, the bridge was commissioned in 2021 and its construction work was awarded to Kishoreganj based contractors MS Mirza Construction and Mamun Construction JV with a deadline in August 2022. The deadline was extended twice, first to December 2023 and then to June 2024.
"We waited three years for this bridge, but it has brought us no benefit," said Mojibur Rahman, a local. "We urge the authorities to build the approach roads soon to mitigate our sufferings."
Many other locals echoed him. They also said school-going children and the elderly are the worst sufferer of the situation.
LGED officials said the project did not include any allocation for land acquisition, which has halted construction of the approach roads.
Netrakona Sadar Upazila Engineer Md Soyaib Imran said elevated approach roads must be built on both ends from a distance.
He said locals had initially promised to provide the required land, but are now demanding that the government acquire it. Since the project has no allocation for land acquisition, the work is in limbo.
Attempts to contact the owners of the contracting firms were unsuccessful.
Netrakona LGED Executive Engineer Md Wahiduzzaman said, "There was no allocation in the project for land acquisition for the approach roads. We have informed the higher authorities. If the landowners agree to provide the land, we can construct the approach roads and open the bridge quickly."
