Dreams of some three lakh people in Kachua and Matlab Dakkhin upazilas of Chandpur district are finally coming true following the opening of a 42-meter long bridge over Boaljhuri canal.

Socio-economic life in the locality will see a major change through the inauguration of the bridge.

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The two upazilas — Matlab Dakkhin and Kachua — are separated by the Boaljhuri canal and people of the two upazilas had to cross the canal through boats.

To mitigate the suffering of the people of two upazilas, local lawmakers took an initiative to build a bridge in an effort to ease communication.

Once the bridge is opened, the social and economic lifestyle of Prashannacup, Banglabazar villages in Kachua bordering area and Kalikapur, Chartbhanga, Kashimpur villages under Matlab Dakkhin upazila will be changed.

People can easily go to the district headquarters in a short period of time and at low cost.

A Alim, upazila engineer of Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED), said they have completed the construction work of 42-meter concrete bridge over the Boaljhuri canal, at a cost of Tk 2.55 crore, financed by the government, and it will be opened on September 12.

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Former minister and MP of Kachua constituency Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir will inaugurate the bridge, he said.

The construction work of the bridge started in the 2020-21 fiscal year but it was delayed due to the pandemic. Approach roads have been built on both sides of the bridge, said A Alim.

During a recent visit to the bridge area, the UNB correspondent saw that the painting of the bridge is underway.

A number of stalls offering fuchka, coffee and tea were set up near the bridge while the construction of many shops is underway on both sides of the river.

People were seen roaming around the bridge before the opening ceremony.

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Locals Abul Hossain, Shafique Patwari, said they had suffered a lot due to the absence of a bridge over the canal. The commute to the district headquarters used to be long. The bridge will help boost trade and income in the two upazilas, they believe.

Teachers of Matlab Dakkhin Kalikapur High School said they had to cross the canal by boat to go to the school but now students and teachers can easily go to the school in a short time using the bridge.