Bridge built seven years ago lies unused due to lack of approach roads

A concrete bridge in the Kaerchak area of Kulaura upazila, Moulvibazar, has remained unused for seven years because the approach roads on both ends have not yet been constructed. The bridge, completed on June 10, 2019, at a cost of Tk 30.74 lakh, offers no benefit to the thousands of residents living across seven villages.

Built over a canal in the Hakaluki Haor area, the bridge stands about 15-16 feet high. Since the canal is dry for most of the year, residents typically walk beneath the structure. Local schoolchildren have been known to climb the bridge, posing a risk of accidents.

Rahela Begum, a mother of two from Kaerchak village, described the bridge as a "trap" due to its height, dilapidated state, and lack of access roads. She expressed concern that children climbing it could easily fall.

Azizur Rahman Monir, chairman of Bhukshimoil union parishad, explained that soil had been placed at both ends to create connecting roads, but floodwaters repeatedly washed it away. Sanjida Akter, the upazila nirbahi officer of Kulaura, stated that she would investigate the matter and take necessary steps to construct the approach roads.

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That bridge is like a trap, high, broken in places, and with no road leading to it. Out of curiosity, children sometimes climb it. One wrong step and a tragedy can happen.