JOYPURHAT, Nov 04: More than 40-year-old concrete bridge over the Shiholy canal in the Durgapur area under Kalai upazila of the district has turned into a death trap due to lack of repair work.
A good number locals said people including school-going children use the bridge daily taking risk as it may collapse any time. If steps are not taken immediately, terrible accident may occur.
Minor road accidents take place on the bridge area every day, said three-wheeler driver Lokman Hossain.
More than 1.0 million people of some 60 villages of Khelal and Kalai upazilas of Joypurhat and Dupchanchia and Shibganj upazilas of Bogura district use the bridge to transport their produce.
The truck drivers are afraid due to dilapidated condition of the bridge, said truck driver Masir Uddin. The farmers are forced to carry the goods using another 15-kilometre distant road to avoid any risk, he added.
During a recent visit in the area this correspondent found a big hole in the middle of the bridge. It causes untold suffering to the commuters, he was informed.
Trader Enamul Haque of Noyapara village said due to dilapidated condition of the bridge, it is hard for the growers to send their produce to large markets in the town to get good price. As a result, farmers are deprived of getting fair prices for their crops, he added.
Chairman of Udoypur union Wazed Ali said he has sent a request to construct a concrete bridge over the canal on immediate basis. The commuters, including students, are suffering for the dilapidated condition of the bridge, he added.
Upazila engineer of Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Sirajul Islam said the slab of the bridge had collapsed.
The LGED will start repair work after getting the fund, he added.
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