Ramdakua bridge on Sundarganj-Ulipur road across a branch of the Teesta river is yet to be replaced two years after it collapsed, causing immense problems for the residents of 20 villages travelling to and from the upazila headquarters. 

In the rainy season, people use country boats to cross the tributary, while it is very difficult to cross it on foot in the dry season, villagers said, adding that farmers cannot carry agriculture produce to markets across the tributary as even rickshaw vans cannot run over it.             

In 2012, former Jatiya Party lawmaker Col (Rtd) Dr Abdul Kader Khan constructed the 150-foot-long bridge under the government's special Food for Work Programme.

The bridge turned risky just one year after construction because the former lawmaker did the work as per his own direction without consulting the upazila engineering department, locals said. 

Surging water eroded the foundation pillars during the rainy season and the bridge subsequently collapsed in 2015, snapping road communication between vast areas of Teesta char lands.

It is not possible to carry bulky goods on this road from the upazila markets, so people have to use the longer alternative way, incurring additional expenditure and also losing time, said Afzal Hossain, a trader of Kashimpur bazar.

“We have to face trouble while crossing the river in the rainy season as it takes a long time to get a country boat, so we cannot attend classes duly, said Shafiqul Islam a student of Taluk Belka.

Locals said they set up a bamboo bridge over the canal in the dry season last year when the water level was knee-deep, adding that it helped pedestrians to cross the tributary but vehicles, including rickshaw vans, cannot do so.

People of Belka, Tarapur, Kashim bazar and Haripur unions face immense trouble every day for want of a bridge, locals said, adding that they have been crying for replacement of the damaged bridge for the last two years, but the situation remained as before.

The area is under Sundarganj municipality and a proposal for construction of a bridge was sent to the ministry concerned, but it is yet to be approved, said Abdullah-Al-Mamun, Mayor of Sundarganj municipality.

Work of the bridge will start as soon the plan is approved, said Abul Monsur, executive engineer of the upazila parishad.