More than 50,000 residents across 30 villages in Rowmari upazila of Kurigram district are struggling with everyday difficulties due to the absence of a concrete bridge over the Holholia River.
People living in three unions, Datbhanga, Char Shoulmari and Saheber Alga, face frequent accidents, risking lives and property amid poor connectivity.
The situation worsens during the monsoon, when muddy roads and rising waters make travel perilous, especially for vulnerable groups like pregnant women, the elderly, children and the sick.
In Kazikata village under Datbhanga union, the neglect feels painfully enduring.
Despite numerous visits by political leaders since Bangladesh’s independence 54 years ago, no lasting infrastructure progress has been made.
Local residents say elected public representatives often make promises before elections, but disappear afterward, leaving communities stranded.
“We have lived with this hardship for decades. The absence of a concrete bridge over the Holholia River has made life extremely difficult,” said Sohel Rana, a villager.
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His co-villagers Marzina Begum, Mojibur and Shamsher Ali echoed the same sentiment.
In a bid to ease the suffering, villagers built a 400-foot-long makeshift bamboo bridge, now used by thousands daily, though it remains unsafe.
