C T Online Desk: Hundreds of thousands of residents of 13 villages have to depend on boats to maintain their communication with Savar, Dhamrai and adjunct areas due to the lack of a bridge.
Communication problem grips three villages of Kulla union under Dhamrai upazila of Dhaka and 10 villages of Dhalla union under Singair upazila of Manikganj in absence of permanent bridges over the Banshi river, tributary river of Dhaleshwari.
Fordnagar village is located on both sides of the Dhaleshwari river. The residents of the northern part of the village can easily communicate with Savar as there is a bridge.
However, the residents of southern part of the village along with the residents of 12 other villagers have to rely on boats to maintain their communication with the city.
According to the locals, farmers are constantly facing problems as they are forced to use boats to take their crops and products to the market from the land on both banks of the Dhaleshwari river.
Notably, there are no medical centres in these villages. As a result, they have to rely on different hospitals in Savar and Dhamrai. Following this, sick people suffer the most as there is no opportunity to cross the river without boarding a boat.
Besides, there are seven primary schools, five kindergartens and three madrasas in these villages where hundreds of students are bound to use boats to go their educational institutions daily.
Farmer Lal Chan, a resident of Fordnagar village, said the farmers face problem while carrying their produces to the market.
Altafur Rahman, a tenth-grader of Savar Adhar Chandra Government High School, said: “Children face risk while going to school. Most of the children do not know how to swim. As a result, they don’t want to cross the river by boat.”
Mahmuda Yasmin, head teacher of Fordnagar Government Primary School, said: “About 20-25 students and eight teachers come to the school from the other side of the river every day. Many of the students do not know how to swim which is a matter of concern for us. A bridge would have solved this problem.”
Lutfar Rahman, chairman of Kulla Union Parishad, said: “After being elected, residents of several villages told me of their troubles for the lack of a bridge over the river at Fordnagar. I will highlight the need for this bridge to the concerned authorities.”
Dhamrai Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Hossain Mohammad Hai Joki told Dhaka Tribune that the construction of a bridge over the river in the area of Fordnagar is under process. “It has already been listed in the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).”
