Chandpur Bridge Left Without Access Roads, Stranding 25,000 People

Residents and students in Chandpur's Matlab Uttar upazila are facing extreme daily hardships and disrupted movement due to the absence of connecting roads at the newly constructed Ludhua Bridge. Located over a branch river of the Dhanagoda in Ludhua village under Matlab Uttar upazila, the bridge was built to improve local transportation but currently remains isolated from standard approach paths on both sides, leaving the public unable to use it as intended.

According to the verified details regarding the project, the bridge measures 41 feet in length and 22 feet in width. The construction initiative involved a financial expenditure totaling 4 million 98 lakh taka. The implementation of the bridge project is overseen locally, with administrative records associated with the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the contractor firm Messers Sunderban, and local institutions such as Ludhua School and College, though the physical approach roads were neglected upon the conclusion of the main construction phase.

Although the physical construction work of the bridge officially concluded last January, the lack of connecting infrastructure has rendered the multimillion-taka structure virtually inaccessible by normal means. Consequently, local inhabitants and students have been compelled to resort to dangerous methods, using bamboo and wooden ladders to climb up and down the bridge for their daily commute across the branch river in Ludhua village.

The current situation affects approximately 25,000 people living across 10 surrounding villages who rely on this route. The daily struggles of the commuters have drawn local attention, with several individuals—namely Md. Janibul Haque, Ripon Patwary, and Sohel Anwar—witnessing the ongoing difficulties faced by the community members attempting to navigate the disconnected structure.

The hazardous commuting conditions pose a severe safety threat, particularly to young learners attending educational institutions. Rudra Chandra, a student facing these daily perils, described the frightening reality of the commute: "Moi baiya protidin setute uitha amago skule aon lage. Moitei uthlei jhakuni lage. Khub bhoy o koshto oy tohon. Setute uthte giya niche poiraou koyekbar betha paichi. Ekerjonar hatho bhangse." This translates to the constant fear, physical pain, and injuries—including a broken arm—suffered by locals while scaling the ladders to reach the bridge deck.