Hundreds of people from five villages have been suffering as a concrete bridge remains without approach roads in Shahjadpur upazila of Sirajganj for two years.
According to locals, the concrete bridge was built two years ago on the Ruposhi-Pakurtala road in Ghatabari area of Jalalpur union in the upazila (sub-district).
As the approach roads to the 40-foot concrete bridge, constructed with disaster management funding, were unpaved, they in no time washed away with rains.
Ever since people on both sides of the concrete bridge, particularly from Jalalpur, Ghatabari, Pakurtala, Baikhola and Kuthirpara villages, have been using bamboo bridges to reach and thus cross it.
Locals say bamboo bridges are makeshift and shaky and often break down and so they often have to repair or build new ones.
Rabiul Islam, Suruj Ali Pramanik , chan and Alam Sheikh of Pakurtala village say they have been having difficulty crossing the concrete bridge as it lies without approach roads for two years.
Women, children and elderly people are the worst sufferers as they often lose balance and fall down while using bamboo bridges to reach the concrete bridge and thus cross it, they add.
Amjad Ali, a grocer in Kuthirpara, says no vehicle can ply directly along the concrete bridge as there is no connecting road for two years. They have to carry rice, oil and other necessities and heavy goods on their heads.
Sultan Mahmud, chairman of Jalalpur Union says approach roads were built but they got washed away with flood waters.
He assured that approach roads to the concrete bridge will be earth-filled again so that people can easily access and thus cross it.
Upazila Project Implementation Officer AbulKalam Azad says floodwaters washed away approach roads to the concrete bridge. They will be built once flood waters recede.
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