A concrete bridge over the river Gidari is now nothing but a dream for the villagers at Chawratari in Aditmari upazila as public representatives have only been making promises to build the bridge since country's independence but to no effect yet.
Due to lack of a concrete bridge over the river, __more than 900 villagers have to cross a bamboo bridge every day amid risk of accident.
People, especially school kids, are the worst sufferers as the children often fell into the water while crossing the bamboo bridge, said villagers.
Nazrul Islam, 63, of the bordering village said, they have to go to the mainland at Durgapur bazar through crossing the bamboo bridge at risk.
They have been demanding a concrete bridge over the river since country's liberation but all calls fall on deaf ears, he said.
Farmer Azgar Ali, 33, of the village said his second grader daughter Smrity Akhter fell into the water while crossing the bamboo bridge a week ago, but she was luckily saved as locals rescued her immediately.
The suffering doubled for them when they have to take any patient to the upazila health complex crossing the bamboo bridge, said Shamsul Islam, 55, another resident of the village.
Member of Durgapur Union Parishad (UP) Mostakim Ali said “We tried several times to build a concrete bridge over the river but failed as Indian Border Security Force (BSF) did not allow it.”
UP Chairman Salequzzaman Pramanik said they are trying their best to communicate with BSF through BGB for getting permission to build a concrete bridge over the river.