15,000 People Across 9 Villages Suffer Due to Lack of Bridge in Bahubal; Annual Bamboo Crossings Washed Away by Monsoon Floods

Around 15,000 people from nine villages in West Bhadashwar of Bahubal upazila in Habiganj have been suffering for years due to the lack of a bridge over the Karangi River.

Since independence, local people have been demanding a permanent bridge over the river. For the past 26 years, they have contacted elected representatives, ministers, MPs and different government offices, but their demand has not been met. As a result, a risky bamboo bridge remains their only way to cross the river.

Every day, students, teachers, farmers, women, children and sick people risk their lives to cross the river using a bamboo bridge built with their own money. The situation becomes worse during the rainy season when heavy water from the hills and strong river currents make the bridge unstable. Sometimes, the strong current breaks the bridge and cuts off direct communication. At that time, people have to take another route, which takes almost an hour.

A visit to the area found a long bamboo bridge over the Karangi River near the home of Habib Master in West Bhadashwar. Bamboo poles have been placed on both sides of the river to support the bridge. Some parts of the bridge have weak connections, while other parts are unstable. There is no safety railing. Yet local people have no choice but to use this risky bridge every day.
Due to the lack of a permanent bridge, separate transport systems have developed on the two sides of the river. Passengers have to get off their vehicles on one side, cross the river using the bamboo bridge and then take another vehicle on the other side to reach their destination. This costs them both time and money. The journey is especially difficult for children, women, elderly people and sick patients. During the rainy season, rising water levels and strong currents make their suffering much worse.

Local people said around 15,000 residents of nine villages, including West Bhadashwar, Kasba Karimpur, Golgaon, Kamargaon, Satanigaon, Takia, Fakirbari, Sundratiki Talugaon and Tilabari, are suffering due to the lack of a bridge.

There are homes on one side of the river and large areas of farmland on the other. Without a bridge, farmers face problems reaching their fields, carrying crops and taking agricultural products to the market.
Residents said they collect money every year to build and repair the bamboo bridge. Whenever it is damaged by heavy water from the hills or strong river currents, they have to collect money again and rebuild it. This causes financial losses and forces people to risk their lives while crossing the river. They also said some people have died in accidents while crossing the river, while others have become disabled.

Local Union Parishad member Farid said, “We have been trying to get a bridge for nearly 26 years. We have submitted applications to different elected representatives and government offices. We even submitted an application to former Finance Minister Shah AMS Kibria. But the bridge has still not been built. A bridge would end the long suffering of thousands of people in this area.”

Local resident Haji Mobarak Ali said, “During the rainy season, the river carries a lot of water. School and college students and women face great difficulties crossing it. There is always a risk of accidents when people use this unsafe bridge. We demand that a permanent bridge be built here as soon as possible.”
Former Union Parishad member Akkas Ali said their ancestors had also tried to get a bridge built over the river, but the demand had still not been met. He said a bridge would benefit thousands of people and bring major changes to education, healthcare, agriculture and business.

Bahubal Press Club General Secretary Saleh Ahmed Abid said local people had been trying for a long time to get a bridge. He said it was very sad that thousands of people in an area just two to three kilometres from Bahubal Sadar were still suffering in this way.

He said students, patients and farmers were all facing difficulties because of the lack of a bridge. He urged the authorities concerned to approve and build a bridge as soon as possible, considering the suffering of local people.

Bahubal Upazila Engineer Sanjit Ghosh said the proposed 50-metre bridge over the Karangi River had been sent to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Habiganj for approval under a project for bridges up to 100 metres long.

He said the bridge was very important and its construction would improve communication in the area.
Local people hope the authorities will take effective steps to approve and build the proposed bridge soon, considering the long suffering of the residents.

They said a permanent bridge over the Karangi River would not only make travel easier for people from the nine villages but also allow vehicles from both sides to travel directly. It would also create new opportunities for carrying agricultural products, education, healthcare and local business.

After waiting for 26 years, the people of the nine villages are still demanding a permanent bridge over the Karangi River. They are asking how much longer they will have to risk their lives crossing the river on a bamboo bridge.