Bridge without approach-road in Mirsharai

There is a bridge near the Chattogram highway at Wahedpur union under Mirsharai upazila in Chattogram. Though the bridge was constructed 20 years ago, it has no approach road. The bridge is 600 feet from a large field belonging to Nizampur Muslim High School. As there is no road, as many as 800 students are deprived of playing on the field because of the difficulty of getting to it.

The then Union Parishad Chairman Kamal Uddin built the bridge with union parishad funds. However, an approach road was not built because of protests from the owners of surrounding land. If the road is constructed, school students will be able to use the field. The road will also connect Wahedpur to Middle Wahedpur.

Shafiqul Islam, headmaster of Nizampur Muslim High School, said, "The then chairman of Wahedpur Union Parishad built the bridge in 1996-97. There is a big 24-decimal field 600 feet from the bridge. Such a big field remains unused as there is no approach road."

Master Abul Hossain, a member of the school managing committee, said, "When we organise interschool sports, only the players go to the field. School students cannot go there because they have to use a muddy path through markets and houses. So, we arrange annual sports programmes in the small field of the school."

Abul Hashem also said he had verbally informed the present union parishad chairman about the approach road.

This reporter found some parts of the bridge covered with bushes and creepers, and some logs being kept in front of it for use by a sawmill.

Local people said a road was recorded in the BS sheet (the first land survey after independence). That is why the bridge was constructed. Later, the owners of the land around the bridge objected, and the road was not built.

They also said the budget allocated for the construction of the bridge was not spent.

Abdul Awal Robin, an SSC candidate at Nizampur Muslim High School, said, "We cannot go to the field to play as there is no approach road. Even during the dry season, we cannot go there because of the ditch in front of the bridge.

The students have requested the present union parishad chairman to build an approach road to the bridge.

Fazlul Karim Firoz, chairman of Wahedpur Union Parishad, said, "The bridge was built during the time of former chairman Kamal Uddin. We could not build the approach road to the bridge because of a disagreement between the land-owners. The school has also informed me about it verbally. I also want the approach-road built."