11-month bridge project drags on for 2.5 years in Jashore

Construction of Panchkatia bridge in Manirampur upazila of Jashore has remained incomplete even two and a half years after the work order was issued, causing severe hardship to residents of at least 10 villages.

The project was scheduled to be completed within 11 months, but only four pillars and approach walls on both sides have been constructed so far. Locals alleged that the work has virtually stopped, leaving thousands of people without an alternative route.

The bridge is part of a rural road infrastructure project undertaken to repair roads damaged by Cyclone Amphan and floods. Contractor Iqbal Samaddar was awarded the work through a tender by the upazila engineering office.

According to the engineering office, the estimated project cost is Tk2.79 crore, while the contract value is Tk2.73 crore. The work order was issued in March 2024, with a completion deadline of February 2025.

However, the deadline expired without substantial progress. Locals said the incomplete construction has disrupted communication between the affected villages and Manirampur and Abhaynagar upazilas through Chuknagar.

School and college students are among the worst affected, particularly during the rainy season. Students Akash Mondal and Apu Biswas said they often have to walk through muddy and waterlogged roads, sometimes carrying their shoes in their hands and arriving at school with wet clothes. Residents alleged that the contractor did not deploy adequate workers even during the dry season, resulting in prolonged delays. They demanded immediate completion of the bridge and restoration of normal communication.

Meanwhile, the contractor Abdul Khaleque blamed prolonged waterlogging for the delay, saying it had prevented construction work for an extended period.

Outgoing Monirampur Upazila Engineer Faisal Ahmed said the contractor had repeatedly been instructed to expedite the work. “But the work has not been completed due to the contractor’s negligence,” he said. Newly appointed Upazila Engineer Yakub Ali said he had also asked the contractor to complete the work after learning about the situation. “The contractor has submitted a written application seeking an extension until December,” he said.

Residents, however, urged the authorities to take immediate steps to complete the bridge and open it to traffic to end the prolonged suffering of thousands of people.