Khagrachhari bailey bridges death traps
Vehicles use unfit bailey bridges on Khagrachhari-Chittagong Road and Khagrachhari-Dhaka Road, risking lives of passengers. The picture has been taken from Sapmara under Matiranga upazila in Khagrachhari recently. The bridge has collapsed four times last year killing two people. Photo: Jasim Majumder
At least 73 bailey bridges in the hilly district of Khagrachhari are at risk of collapse that could cause loss of lives and property. The bridges lie in a most dilapidated condition on eight roads -- two inter-districts and six internal ones connecting eight upazilas with the district headquarters. Sources said Roads and Highways Department (RHD) set up 14 temporary bailey bridges in 1980 on Khagrachhari -Dhaka road, 12 on Khagrachhari-Chittagong road, six on Khagrachhari-Rangamati road and 41 on some 16 internal roads. The commuters blamed indifference of the RHD authorities for dilapidated condition of the bailey bridges, which the officials denied, saying that they have told the communications ministry for several times to replace the risky bridges. In this regard, a project worth Tk 195 crore was also sent to the ministry on November 27 last year for constructing 38 PC girder bridges, 16 RCC bridges and 19 box culverts replacing the bailey bridges, the RHD officials said. Truck driver Abul Kashem said they are scared while cross the bridges since iron plates have caved in and vehicles get stuck on the bridges on different occasions. "We have also sent a letter to the communications ministry for permanent bridges replacing these bailey bridges considering the sufferings caused to the people following accidents taking place frequently, said SM Shafi, a local transport association leader, while talking to The Daily Star. Sub-Divisional Engineer Mohammad Shahabuddin of local RHD office said the ministry through RHD local units built the bridges in 1980 to facilitate communications of over five lakh people, including the indigenous ones in the hilly district. As the bailey bridges are usually set up for a temporary use of 15 years, these bridges were not supposed to be in use after 1995, he said. Besides, the ban on movement of vehicles over three metric tons is also ignored to worsen the condition of the bridges, Shahabuddin said. RHD Executive Engineer Rana Priya Barua said despite repeated repair the bridges have become death traps for the passengers. He said accidents occurred on these bridges over 80 times and left at least three people killed and 60 others injured in last one year, he said. Barua said if the proposed project is approved it would take five years to construct permanent bridges replacing the bailey bridges.
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