Hundreds of residents in Mymensingh’s Tarakanda upazila are facing daily hardships relying on a bamboo bridge to cross the Rangsa river, as their persistent request for a permanent concrete bridge goes unanswered. Despite organizing rallies and forming human chains to push for a concrete bridge’s construction, the locals have seen no progress.
Md Yasin Ali, the panel chairman of Galagoan Union Parishad, expressed frustration, stating that despite continuous appeals to the authorities for a permanent concrete bridge, no action has been taken. The community is left with no choice but to use the bamboo bridge for transportation, a situation that has persisted for years. Although the Local Government and Engineering Department officials have conducted surveys in the area, no concrete steps have been taken.
Badsha Miah, a member of the union parishad, highlighted the risks faced by approximately 500 students from 10 educational institutions who need to cross the bridge daily, particularly hazardous during the monsoon season. Sharaf Uddin Ahmed, an assistant teacher at Gaborgati Govt Primary School, echoed these concerns.
Local resident Abul Khayer emphasized the inconvenience caused by the current situation, noting that while the upazila headquarters is merely five kilometers away, crossing the river using the bamboo bridge takes over an hour, a journey that should typically last only 20 minutes.
Aysha Akhter, the upazila engineer of LGED in Tarakanda, confirmed that they have submitted proposals for a bridge construction project, but no approval has been granted yet.