UNB, Brahmanbaria :There has been no initiative from the authorities in sight yet to complete the construction of a bridge over the Pagla River in Nabinagar upazila of the district, whose fate seems to have been stuck in a web of long uncertainty.The construction work of the long-cherished bridge was started around four years ago but it was stopped soon afterwards blocking the chance for the local residents to be relieved of their sufferings in movement.The work on the bridge was stalled reportedly over fund crisis and a political row just after the construction of its nine pillars was completed.Five of the nine pillars have already got damaged in rainy weather and the rest four might collapse any moment during monsoon, fear locals.Some 4000-5000 people from 22 villages in Shibpur, Amtoli, Birgaon, Tilokia, Kishorepur, Daskandi, Shobharampur, Sitarampur, Daulatpur, Satghar Hati, Hazir Hati, Thanar Kandi, Gazir Kandi of Birgaon and Krishnanagar unions and residents of Nabinagar East, Nabinagar West and some villages of Raipura upazila of Narsingdi district have to cross the river on their way to Brahmanbaria, Dhaka and Sylhet everyday.Once the construction work of the bridge is completed, it will reduce the distance of the residents to the mainland by half, locals hope.The construction work of the bridge was started in 2012 with a fund of Tk5 lakh raised from the locals and some money allotted from different government projects.According to a list of development works, placed by Birgaon union parishad chairman Kabir Ahmed in 2013, Tk67.35 lakh was shown as expenditure for the construction of the bridge and its approach road.Of the total cost, Tk19.22 lakh was shown as expenditure for the nine pillars, including the boundary pillars of the bridge on both sides of the riverbank, while Tk48.13 lakh as cost of soil filling from Nabinagar Baishmoja to Ashuganj Lalpur union.During a recent visit, this correspondent found that a road was built by placing soil from Lalpur to the Pagla river bank.Locals alleged the nine pillars were even constructed using substandard materials and consequently five of them broke apart a few days after the construction and the rest four are also facing collapse any moment.Mukhlesur Rahman, president of Bharsha Bazar Committee, said, “I’d given iron rod and cement worth Tk70-80 thousand for the construction work.”Yusuf Mia, leaseholder of the cattle market at Baishmoja Bazar, said, “We’ve collected Tk five lakh from the market and gave it for the construction work of the bridge.”Besides, the money allocated from projects like “TR” and “Kabikha” were also spent for the construction work, said local people.They also said the chairman himself appointed a contractor for the work which ran completely under his (chairman’s) supervision.However, despite repeated attempts, the upazila nirbahi office could not be contacted for his comment.
