Raju Ahmed Sahan, Ullapara/Sirajganj/Representative/

The newly constructed Barahar road bridge over Fuljore river in Ullapara upazila of Sirajganj is now awaiting inauguration. The construction of this bridge fulfilled the long-standing demands and dreams of Ullapara and neighboring Kamarkhand upazila residents.

40 crore 41 lakh 68 thousand taka has been spent on the construction of this 294 meter long and 9.8 meter wide bridge in Barahar union of Ullapara upazila. The construction of the bridge was done by the contractor MM Builders with the funding of the engineering department of the local government. The construction work of this road bridge was inaugurated on 21 August 2018.

Md. Fazlul Haque Mandal, a resident of local Pecharpara village, said that Barahar Khyapar was once their most popular place. During torrential rains, passengers had to wait for a long time for the boat as there was no shelter on either side. Fazlul expressed hope that now that this bridge will be built, their suffering will be removed.

Najma Akhter, a student of Barahar High School, a resident of Pecharpara village, said that since we were educated, we had to cross the Phuljor river to come to the primary school and high school here through the Barahar-Kamarkhand road. Now we students are very happy with this beautiful new bridge.

Barahar Union Parishad chairman Zahurul Hasan Nannu said that at least 20 villages of Ullapara and Kamarkhand upazilas cross the Phuljor river by boat at Barahar Kheyaghat and travel to both the upazila headquarters every day. Pedestrians had to suffer a lot when crossing this river especially during the rainy season. No vehicle could ply directly on Barahar-Kamarkhand road due to lack of bridge. People came to Barahar Ghat and after crossing the river by boat, they collected vehicles from the opposite bank and traveled to Kamarkhand upazila. The locals had to suffer a lot. And for these reasons, the people of this town had a long-standing demand for the construction of a paved bridge at Barahar Kheyaghat.

The chairman also said that the long dream of two upazila residents has finally been fulfilled through the construction of Barahar Bridge. The new bridge is very beautiful. Necessary solar lamp posts have been installed on the bridge. This new bridge looks very attractive when lit at night. Before its inauguration, every day people of this region come with their families to have a look at the bridge. In fact, the bridge has now become a landmark in the area. If the bridge is opened for public, the life picture of the people of the mentioned two upazilas will change. Chairman Nannu expressed hope that Barahar Setu will make a special contribution to the economic development of the region.

In this regard, Chief Upazila Engineer Md. Abu Syed of Ullapara Office of Directorate of Local Government Engineering said that the long dream of the people of this township has been fulfilled by the construction of the Barahar Road Bridge over the Fuljore River at a cost of Tk 40 crore 41 lakh 68 thousand. The work on the bridge was completed about three months ago. They are in contact with the concerned higher authorities to open the bridge for public traffic very soon. After the opening of the bridge, the long-term suffering of Ullapara and Kamarkhand upazilas will end, the engineer said.