Wooden Bridge Remains Only Lifeline for People in Nurpur-Nandigram-Sonapur, Residents Demand Permanent Structure

A wooden bridge over the Khasiamara River is the only reliable route connecting Nurpur, Nandigram and Sonapur villages in Surma Union of Dowarabazar upazila, Sunamganj, with the upazila headquarters. Thousands of people from the three villages have been using the bridge for years to reach the upazila town.

The bridge plays an important role in the daily lives of students, patients, farmers and people from other professions. However, the temporary wooden structure offers no permanent solution, leaving residents at risk of accidents while crossing the river.

According to local sources, the bridge is crucial for reaching the upazila headquarters quickly and easily. Residents depend on it for emergency medical services, students’ travel to educational institutions and the transportation of agricultural products. Their difficulties increase during the monsoon and adverse weather conditions.

Tofayel Ahmed, a resident of Nurpur and an officer at Sonali Bank’s Dowarabazar branch, said, “This wooden bridge is our only means of easy communication with the upazila headquarters. We need to visit the town every day for various purposes. But we have to depend on this wooden bridge to travel. If a permanent concrete bridge is built here soon, our long-standing suffering will end.”

Jafar Ali, a young resident of Nurpur, said, “A permanent concrete bridge over the Khasiamara River is extremely important for us. Using this bridge, we can reach the upazila headquarters in a short time. Last year, we took a local initiative to start building a wooden bridge. This year, we have continued that effort to keep communication open through the wooden bridge. But it is not a permanent solution. If a concrete bridge is built here, it will ease the long-standing suffering of people from the three villages.”

Residents believe that constructing a permanent bridge over the Khasiamara River would significantly improve communication between Nurpur, Nandigram and Sonapur and the upazila headquarters. It would also create new opportunities in education, healthcare, agriculture and trade.

They have urged local public representatives, the upazila administration and the relevant engineering department to take immediate steps to construct a permanent concrete bridge and end their long-standing hardship.