Six years on, collapsed bridge remains unrepaired in Khulna

Thousands of people in five villages of Koyra upazila in Khulna have been suffering for six years as a bridge over the Koyra-Oratola canal remains unrepaired, forcing them to rely on a risky bamboo footbridge.
Students, farmers, labourers and elderly people use the makeshift bridge to cross the canal, while taking critically ill patients and pregnant women to hospitals has become difficult, particularly during emergencies.
The bridge, built over the canal by the Khulna Water Development Board in 1996, collapsed in 2020. Since then, local residents have built a bamboo bridge on their own initiative, which remains the only crossing for people from Koyra No 2, Oratola, Gobra, Harinkhola and Purbachak villages.
During a recent visit, the remains of the old bridge were seen lying in the canal, with nearly 90% of the structure collapsed. Residents were crossing the canal on the narrow bamboo bridge, while some elderly people needed assistance.
Ripon Ahmed, a resident of Oratola village, said the damaged bridge had remained in the canal for six years, forcing schoolchildren and other residents to use the bamboo structure despite the risk of falling into the water.
Gafur Sana, a resident of Koyra No. 2 village, said students often slipped while crossing the bridge, causing their books and notebooks to fall into the water. The risk of accidents increases during the rainy season, while taking patients or pregnant women to hospitals at night becomes particularly challenging, he added.
Residents also have to travel longer distances by vans, easy bikes and goods-carrying vehicles because of the lack of a permanent crossing. Locals have called for the urgent construction of a new bridge, saying the prolonged disruption has affected education, healthcare, farming and everyday movement. Masum Billah, a member of Ward No. 2 of Koyra Sadar Union Parishad, said the issue had been raised repeatedly at meetings, but no solution had been found.
He urged the authorities to take immediate steps to construct a bridge and ease the suffering of local residents.
Lutfar Rahman, acting chairman of Koyra Sadar Union Parishad, said the suffering of residents in several villages had reached an extreme level. The matter had been reported to the upazila administration in writing, and a project should be taken up urgently to rebuild the bridge, he added.
Koyra Upazila Nirbahi Officer Abdullah Al Baki said he was concerned that residents of five villages had been risking their lives for six years due to the lack of a bridge. He said the matter would be investigated and initiatives taken in coordination with the relevant department to find a practical solution.