According to reports, the western part of the steel Bailey bridge on the Niyamatpur–Anwarpur road near Horipur village of Ward 8 in Fatehpur Union collapsed early Monday morning while a truck carrying crushed stone was crossing it. The truck driver and his assistant were seriously injured in the incident. The collapse of this heavily used bridge has caused severe disruption and suffering for the local population.

Locals stated, “The bridge was constructed about 16 years ago by the Sunamganj Roads and Highways Department (RHD), with costs running into several crores of taka. Substandard materials were used in its construction. In particular, the approach roads on both sides were poorly built, and cracks began to appear within months of completion. Due to the damage, people continued using the bridge at great risk. During the 2022 flood, strong water currents eroded the soil around both approaches, creating deep pits. At that time, to restore communication, the RHD built Bailey bridges on both sides of the main bridge. However, those Bailey bridges were also weak and flawed, which has led to today’s accident.”

Acting Headmaster of Anantapur Government Primary School, Alomgir Shah, said, “We use this road daily to commute to our workplace from Sunamganj town. This morning, we were shocked to find a disaster. The collapse of the Bailey bridge along with the truck has cut off communication. Hundreds of people and vehicles are stranded on both sides. It is unacceptable that a key road for millions from Sunamganj Sadar, Bishwamberpur, Tahirpur, and Modhyanagar upazilas is in such a dangerous state. We have long demanded the repair of this risky bridge, but no one listened. Had it been repaired earlier, today’s accident and the resulting suffering could have been avoided. We demand immediate and quality repair work.”

Chairman of Fatepur Union Parishad, Faruk Ahmed, said, “The Sajnar Haor bridge was built around 16 years ago. The approach roads on both sides were poorly constructed, and cracks appeared soon afterward. During the 2022 flood, water currents eroded the sides and formed pits. In response to our request, the RHD built Bailey bridges on both sides. Today, the western Bailey bridge collapsed along with a stone-laden truck. With communication severed, hundreds of people and vehicles are stranded. I informed the Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) of Bishwamberpur, and arranged a boat service for temporary transportation. I also informed the Executive Engineer of the RHD and urged him to take immediate action.”

Executive Engineer of the Sunamganj Roads and Highways Department, Dr. Mohammad Ahad Ullah, said, “We are aware of the bridge collapse. The bridge will be repaired after the truck is removed. The repairs may take about a week.”