Locals, including school and college students, wade across Dhepa River to reach their destinations in Biral upazila of Dinajpur owing to lack of a bridge.Photo: STAR

A bridge, to be constructed over Dhepa River flowing between Biral and Dinajpur Sadar upazilas, has got separate foundation stones on both sides of the river within a span of 19 days.
Iqbalur Rahim, lawmaker from Dinajpur-3 (Dinajpur Sadar), inaugurated the work of the bridge on October 23 last at Nasipur village in Dinajpur Sadar upazila while Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, lawmaker from Dinajpur-2 (Biral-Bochaganj), inaugurated it on November 10.
Local Government and Engineering Department of Dinajpur is constructing the 175-metre-long bridge at a cost of Tk 9.59 crore to provide better communication facilities for the people of Biral, Kaharol and Dinajpur Sadar upazilas.
Following a bid, Parisha Trade System, a Dhaka-based construction company, started the work on October 23.
"At least 80 per cent people of Biral and Kaharol upazilas will be benefited if the bridge is constructed. As it was an election pledge of lawmaker Khalid Mahmud, we the locals obliged him to inaugurate it," said Md Sohrab Hossain, a resident of Rajuria village in Biral upazila.
Masudur Rahman, an engineer of Dinajpur Sadar upazila LGED, said Sadar upazila parishad organised the foundation stone laying programme on October 23 and Iqbalur Rahim, MP of Dinajpur-3, inaugurated it as chief guest as Sadar upazila parishad invited the bid for bridge construction with the assistance of the MP.
The LGED executive engineer's office of Dinajpur organised another programme on November 10 at Azimpur village in Biral upazila of Dinajpur, sources said.
Mokhlesur Rahman, executive engineer of LGED in Dinajpur, could not be contacted as he did not receive the phone calls made by this correspondent.
Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, lawmaker of Dinajpur-2, also organisational secretary of central Awami League, said people of his constituency obliged him to lay the foundation stone of the bridge as it was in his election manifesto.
On the other hand, Iqbalur Rahim, lawmaker from Dinajpur-3, claimed that he played role behind approval of the plan and granting the budget for construction of the bridge.
"Whatever may have been done regarding laying of the foundation stone, we now expect that the two ruling party MPs will inaugurate the bridge jointly when its work is complete, showing that they are united for development," Md Abul Kalam Azad, a political analyst and convenor of Dinajpur Muktijuddho Jadughar, said.