Pirojpur Correspondent:

The Halta Bridge, under construction over the Halta River connecting Mathbaria and Patharghata upazilas on the border of Pirojpur and Barguna districts, remains incomplete even four years beyond the stipulated deadline, causing extreme suffering for thousands of people in the two upazilas.

The Halta Bridge is the only road link between Mathbaria upazila of Pirojpur district and Patharghata upazila of neighbouring Barguna district, and due to the absence of the bridge, hardship has reached a critical level for thousands of residents living near Nali Joynagar in Mathbaria and the adjacent Nachnapara Bazar area of Patharghata.

Following long-standing demands from residents, construction work was awarded in November 2019 under a joint venture to two construction firms — Abir and Sardar — at a cost of Tk2 crore 78 lakh 33 thousand 500.

However, as work did not progress, the 39-metre-long bridge was re-tendered in 2021 and awarded to a construction firm named Tahidul Bashar Kabir at a cost of Tk3 crore 19 lakh 53 thousand.

Although construction initially began, the work has remained stalled for the past four years.

Apart from two abutments on either bank of the river, no further construction has been carried out, forcing thousands of people from eight to ten villages in the two upazilas to cross the river daily using a makeshift bamboo footbridge beside the unfinished structure, risking their lives.

With several educational institutions located on both sides of the bridge, students are compelled to cross the bamboo footbridge every day at great risk.

Sharif Hawladar, a resident of the Nali Joynagar area of Mathbaria, said that for the past six to seven years they have been travelling by balancing on wooden poles under constant danger, and as no vehicles can use the route, the suffering of thousands has reached an extreme level.

School and college students face daily difficulties, which become several times worse during the monsoon, he added.

Tarikul Islam, a resident of Nachnapara in Patharghata upazila of Barguna district, said that if the bridge were in place, road communication between the two upazilas would take just five to ten minutes, but in its absence, vehicles have to detour 10 to 15 kilometres, taking several hours, leaving thousands of people in the area to live in prolonged hardship.

He urged that construction be completed quickly to ease the suffering of residents on both sides.

Mathbaria Upazila Engineer Md Ziarul Islam said that construction of the bridge was halted due to design complications and contractors’ unwillingness to work at the tendered price.

Although the project was re-tendered and awarded to a new contractor, work has again been stopped, and efforts are currently underway to contact the contractor and resume construction, he added.