In Bhola, a broken bridge crossed on betel-nut trunks: hundreds risk the crossing every day for over a decade

People in Lalmonohan upazila of Bhola have been crossing a broken bridge at great risk for more than a decade and a half. A makeshift crossing made by laying betel-nut trunks across the broken slabs is now their only way across.

The bridge stands over the Naya Bhangani canal at Ganeshpur in Ward 3 of Motahar Nagar union, Lalmonohan upazila. It is 12 metres long. Hundreds of people from several nearby villages use this route every day.

The girder bridge was built in 2009. Only about a year later, around 2010, the slabs on its eastern side and in the middle collapsed and fell into the canal. In the 16 years since, no initiative has been taken to repair the bridge or build a new one.

With no way to cross the broken section, local people laid betel-nut trunks on the eastern side and in the middle to make a crossing, and built a wooden ladder on the western side. They are getting across as best they can.

Schoolchildren face the greatest risk on this bridge. Ashiz, a sixth-grade student, Junaid, a fifth-grade student, and Jobayer, a fourth-grade student, said they feel very afraid while crossing it. They feel the bridge could collapse into the canal at any moment. Every student in the area has to cross the route each day with that fear.

Several people, including children, have already fallen from the bridge into the canal and been injured. When someone needs to be taken urgently to the upazila sadar hospital, relatives have to make a palanquin from bamboo and carry the patient to the market, which is extremely distressing for them.

Local residents Jamal Matabbar, Nure Alam and Kamal Sikdar said that since the bridge broke, no vehicle, including auto-rickshaws, can use this route. The western part stands much higher than the road. With no alternative route, they are forced to use this dilapidated bridge at the risk of their lives.

They added that sick patients, elderly people and pregnant women suffer the most when travelling on this route.

Lalmonohan Upazila Nirbahi Officer Mohammad Sifat bin Sadek said a list of all the dilapidated bridges in the upazila, including this one, has been prepared and sent to the ministry.

He said that once funds are allocated, necessary steps will be taken quickly to repair or rebuild this bridge and the other damaged bridges. Local people have appealed to the authorities to repair the bridge or build a new one soon to end their long-standing suffering.