Sirajganj, March 25, (BDR: The contractor has left the work of a bridge under construction by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Tarash of the district, leaving it unfinished. This has caused great suffering to the people.
It will become difficult to construct the bridge especially when the rainy season begins. Vast crop fields upstream of the bridge will be submerged in water. People are afraid that the drainage road of the under-construction bridge will collapse if it rains. Meanwhile, looking at the bridge construction information board, it is known that the construction of a 332-meter chained and 20-meter long RCC girder bridge on Katagari GC road was started in January 2024. It was supposed to be completed in January 2025. So far, the contractor has been able to complete the splicing work.
Abdul Aziz of Malshin village of Tarash, Mukul Hossain of Bhadash village, Alamin and Joynal Abedin of Kasta village said that numerous light and heavy vehicles ply on Katagari road. Driving on the drainage road is difficult and risky. The road is quite high on both sides, low in the middle. It is relatively narrow. When going down the slope of the road, the autovan’s brakes do not get stuck. When going up the hill, people have to get off the van and pull the empty car.
Two vans cannot be driven on this road at the same time. We are in great danger because the bridge work is closed. A farmer named Bellal Khan, who lives on the North Wapda Dam, said that there is arable land in the field upstream of the bridge. If there is heavy rain, there is a fear of flooding the Boro paddy fields and damaging the crops. A local person named Mujibur Rahman said that cars have already overturned on the drainage road for two days. Seeing the danger to the people, we have planted bamboo on both sides of the road.
Principal of Tarash Women’s Degree College Md. Zafar Iqbal said, Tarash Women’s Degree College, JI Technical and Business Management College, Zafar Iqbal Girls’ School, Zafar Iqbal High School, Women’s Madrasa, Hafezia Madrasa, Ta’limul Quran Noorani Model Madrasa are located nearby.
Numerous students of these educational institutions travel on the drainage road of the under-construction bridge. All educational institutions will open on April 6. On-site inspection last Thursday showed that there is no room for two vehicles to pass on the drainage road. Drivers stop their cars and wait on one side of the road. Even vehicles and people walking side by side are risky.
It is learned that a contract for the construction of the bridge was concluded with Ethan Enterprise Private Limited and Dawn Enterprise (JV) of Naogaon district at a cost of 2 crore 55 lakh 61 thousand taka. Later, the contractor and former chairman of Bagatipara Upazila Parishad Md. Ohidul Islam bought the construction work of Gokul Bridge. The last third party is working as a contractor named Md. Wahidul Islam. On the other hand, the contractor Md. Wahidul Islam said, there is a delay in getting the bill. Because of this, I am not able to complete the construction work of the bridge. In this regard, Engineer Md. Fazlul Haque of the Upazila Engineering Department said, two letters have been given to the contractor to complete the construction work of the bridge quickly.
