More than 25,000 residents and commuters across several villages in Feni are enduring daily hardships and grave safety risks as they cross a dilapidated, half-century-old bridge over the Kumrachara canal. Built around 1967-1968, the vulnerable bridge connects the Birinchi area under Feni Municipality with the Kazirbagh Union of Feni Sadar Upazila on the vital Birinchi-Sonapur regional highway.
During recent field visits, motorists and pedestrians highlighted the alarming state of the aging structure. The bridge has developed a large crater at its center, alongside extensive structural fractures and corroded concrete slabs that expose rusted iron reinforcement bars. Battery-run autorickshaw driver and local resident Rafiqul Alam voiced the widespread anxiety among commuters, stating that the entire structure shudders whenever a vehicle carrying passengers passes over it, making nighttime transit particularly perilous due to the road surface damage.
The deteriorating crossing serves as a crucial daily conduit for small and medium-sized vehicles, flanked by several educational institutions, madrasas, orphanages, and a community clinic. Local businessman Kamrul Islam of West Sonapur pointed out that the lack of maintenance over an extended period has rendered the structure virtually unfit for transit, prompting urgent demands from locals for a complete demolition and reconstruction. Another resident, SB Saju, expressed frustration that despite ongoing development works in other parts of Feni, repeated assurances from public representatives regarding the bridge's renovation have failed to materialize.
Addressing the growing public safety concerns, Feni Sadar Upazila Project Implementation Officer Md Shahadat Hossain Bhuiyan stated that the deteriorating condition of the bridge came to the attention of the Upazila Parishad, prompting an official inspection of the site. He confirmed that a preliminary draft project has already been formulated, with authorities actively seeking to construct a new 12-meter girder bridge at the location under the Upazila Parishad bridge and culvert construction initiative. A formal proposal requiring an estimated cost of around 10 million Taka has been submitted to higher authorities for approval to permanently alleviate the prolonged suffering of the local populace.
