Tangail Correspondent:

People continue to suffer due to the lack of approach roads to a bridge built over the Louhajang River in Tangail Sadar upazila.

The bridge, constructed at Lawjana area on the eastern side of Chilabari Bazar during the 2023-24 fiscal year, cost Tk 90 lakh. Construction firm Pratyus Builders carried out the work.

Locals said people from around 30 villages, including Baimail, Kagmara, Char Kagmara, Basakhanpur, Chilabari, Lawjana, Dharebari and Jugni, travel through the area every day. A bridge had long been needed here, and although it has finally been built, the suffering has not ended due to the absence of approach roads.

Abul Kashem, a local resident, said people are suffering immensely. “They can spend so much money to build a bridge but cannot make it passable for traffic… This is nothing but their negligence.”

Lima Akter, a student of Dharerbari High School, said they have to travel a long distance to reach their school. “But our school is just across the bridge,” she said.

Prosenjit Dhar, a contractor at Pratyus Builders, said, “We have completed the work as per the work order of the bridge. The approach roads at both ends of the bridge were not mentioned in the work order.”

Tangail Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nahida Akter said she has already asked the upazila engineer (LGED) to conduct an on-site inspection and submit a report.

Approach roads to the bridge will be constructed very soon to alleviate the suffering of the people, she added.

Contacted, Muhammad Jakir Hossain, executive engineer of LGED in Sadar upazila, said the bridge was built by the upazila parishad. The approach roads were not constructed due to insufficient allocation. However, a demand for allocation has been submitted.

He said discussions have been held with the UNO. “I hope we will get the allocation soon. The work will start at the beginning of the new fiscal year,” he added.