A 200-feet long floating bridge over Saniajan River in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat district has now become a blessing for nearly 20,000 people as it will mitigate their long-standing sufferings.
With the help of the local people, the bridge was constructed by placing bamboo mats on plastic drums and the cost of the bridge was approximately Tk 3 lakh.
Bangladesh needs secure cotton sources to maintain export flow, avoid trade war risks: Experts
Every day, hundreds of people gather to see the bridge, which has captured everyone’s attention.
On March 3, the bridge was opened for the residents of the Baura union of the upazila.
Since its inauguration, the bridge has facilitated the travel of local people and students, bringing a sense of joy among the residents of three villages.
Shamsul Alam, President of Baura Union unit BNP, said, "Due to the lack of a bridge here, thousands of people suffer every year. Therefore, with everyone's cooperation, we, along with BNP leaders and workers, have built this floating bridge."
According to local sources, thirty people from the village participated in the construction of the bridge using plastic drums, bamboo, iron angels and ropes.
Local residents claimed that the residents of three villages under the union have been suffering a lot due to the absence of a bridge on the river causing hardship for both students and people.
The floating drum bridge was later constructed with the initiative of some BNP leaders and local residents.
Arafat Hossain, a resident of the area, said "People here suffer every year during the flood. This year, with everyone's help, local people took the initiative to build this floating bridge with drums."
Educated but unemployed; joblessness soars among graduates in Bangladesh
Azizul Islam, another resident, said "As the river water rises during floods, the drums will float, and there will be no difficulty in crossing. That’s why we bought the drums to build this bridge."
Shaheen, a student of Hamir Uddin Grammar School, said "We can now easily go to school and college, thanks to the local people for building the bridge with plastic drums.”
“Earlier, we had to struggle to get to school through this path and now we don’t have to get wet anymore. We can reach school in a very short time,” he said.
Zillur Rahman, Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Patgram upazila, who recently joined as UNO said he was unaware of the floating bridge project but mentioned that he would look into it further.