Bamboo bridge over Sati river

People of seven villages in Kaunia upazila of Rangpur erected a 400-foot-long bamboo bridge over the Sati river as they had been suffering for long due to absence of a bridge.

“We bore all the expenses for building it,” said Rashidul Islam of Chatura village.

Aminur Rahman, the man behind the effort, said the people of Char-Chatura, Dhumgara, Gangrir Bazar, Pallimari, Banglabazar and Haragachh of Kaunia and Khuniagachh of Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila had been suffering a lot while going from one village to another since the 300-foot-long Banglabazar-Char Chatura mud road was washed away by the Sati river two decades ago.

“Since then, boats were the only means for moving from one village to another, which was risky,” he said. Boat capsize is common during the rainy season, Aminur said, adding that students and farmers suffer the most due to the absence of a bridge.

“We wrote several times to the local representatives, requesting them to build a bridge here. They promised they would do so, but we are yet to see any action,” Aminur said.

The villagers decided to build a bamboo bridge over the Sati river by themselves as the local representatives did not take any steps to build one, he added.

The villagers started building the bamboo bridge on May 28.

“We erected the 400-foot-long bamboo bridge in 33 days,” said villager Rafiqul Islam. Twenty people worked every day to complete the bridge on June 30, he added.

Nearly 35,000 people of the seven villages are now the beneficiaries of the bridge, Rafiqul said.

Mayor of Haragachh municipality, also former president of Kaunia upazila Awami League, Md Hakibur Rahman Master said the local lawmaker had been trying his best to build a bridge on the Sati river.