Bridge unused for lack of approach roads
Staff Correspondent, Bogra
The footbridge on river Karotoa at Malatinagar in Bogra town has been lying virtually useless for nearly three years as no approach roads were built on either sides of the bridge.Failing to get the primary benefit of the bridge built at a cost of Tk 15 lakh, locals now use it for drying laundries and other purposes. The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) built the 60-metre long and two-metre wide footbridge in 2003. Anisur Rahman Rana, in-charge executive engineer of Bogra LGED, said the department has decided to build approach roads and other infrastructures on both sides of the bridge soon at a cost of Tk 10 lakh. He, however, admitted that the bridge was built three years ago without a plan for any approach road. Local people appealed to the authorities several times for building the approach roads but their demand could not be implemented due to fund constraints, said Anisur Rahman. Shafiqul Islam, senior officer of the local Sonali Bank, had lodged with the Bogra Pourasabha chairman a written complaint on behalf of the locals for solving the problem long ago, but to no effect. Locals alleged that at least 50,000 people on both sides of the bridge face inconvenience for want of the approach road. They said people of Malatinagar and Natipara areas are dependent on the footbridge for communication.
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A woman dries clothes on the railings of footbridge at Malatinagar in Bogra town. Built three years ago, the bridge became useless for the people of the locality just for want of approach roads. PHOTO: STAR |
