Thousands cry for bridge over Bullai River in Nilphamari

Forty thousand people of eight remote villages in Kishoreganj upazila under the district are suffering much for want of a bridge over the Bullai River at Nauar Ghat in Garagram union.

People of Sonakhuli, Jummapara, Dhorear Bazar, Nauatari, Holaitari, Nepuchipara, Garagram and Majapara villages are facing serious problems to go to required places like educational institutions, markets, hospital, land registration office etc for want of a bridge at Nauar Ghat, said Biplob Kumar Sarker, chairman of Garagram union parishad.

There are ten educational institutions including primary schools, high schools and madrasas on the other side of the river where hundreds of students from those villages go to study, he said, adding that they have to cross the river by small boats or bamboo rafts amid risk.

Visiting the site a few days ago, it was found that people including a good number of female students were crossing the river on rafts.

Villagers made a bamboo bridge over the river one year ago but it was swept away by strong river current at beginning of the rainy season this year.

A few days ago madrasa student Aklima Begum was about to drown after falling into the river from a raft, locals said.

Luckily she was rescued by some youths.

A number of villagers at Dhoreyar Bazar said that before 10th Jatiya Sangsad election, local lawmaker Shawkat Chowdhury promised to make arrangement to construct a permanent concrete bridge at Nauar Ghat but he never visited the site afterwards.

Contacted, SM Keramatullah Nannu, Local Government and Engineering Department engineer of the upazila, said they had sent a project proposal to the higher authorities for construction of a bridge over the Bullai River and they are now waiting for its approval.