Khagrachhari, Aug 19 (V7N) — In the remote hill district of Khagrachhari, hundreds of children and residents from at least seven to eight villages are crossing a dangerously damaged bridge approach every day using a fragile bamboo footbridge. The makeshift crossing, built by locals, sits atop the remnants of a once-stable road that has collapsed due to recent monsoon-triggered landslides and continuous rainfall.
 
The bridge, located in the A.K. Para area along the Komolchhari Ghatpara–Gugurachhari route under Khagrachhari Sadar, was originally constructed in the 1970s. It has long been a vital lifeline for over 20,000 people in the surrounding villages. However, heavy rains and hill runoff this monsoon have severely eroded the retaining wall of the bridge’s approach road, leading to a large portion of soil being washed away.
 
Now, with the structure teetering on collapse, residents—particularly young students from A.K. Para Government Primary School—are forced to traverse the gap using a hand-built bamboo footbridge. The route is the only connection for transporting goods and accessing essential services for many in the community.
 
Speaking with Voice7 News, several parents expressed growing fear for their children’s safety, noting that the slippery and unstable bamboo crossing could easily cause a fatal accident. Some recalled earlier attempts by villagers to refill eroded parts of the road with soil, but the recent deluge proved too powerful for these temporary fixes.
 
Dolimarma, an assistant teacher at the local primary school, said, “We live in constant anxiety every time students use that footbridge. It’s especially dangerous during the rainy season when the surface becomes slick. We can’t watch them 24/7, and there are no safety barriers at all.”
 
Gyan Dutta Tripura, chairman of Khagrachhari Union Parishad No. 1, stated that he informed the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) about the structural risks over five months ago. “This bridge is extremely risky, especially for children. We urgently need reconstruction before a serious incident occurs,” he said.
 
When reached for comment, LGED Executive Engineer Tripti Shankar Chakma acknowledged the issue and confirmed the bridge approach wall had collapsed. “The bridge has been in poor condition for quite some time. We expect to float the tender for reconstruction within the next two to three months,” he said.
 
Until then, thousands of residents and schoolchildren continue to cross this unstable structure every day, with no official alternative route or emergency repair in place. Locals have voiced strong appeals to the authorities to expedite the rebuilding process before a tragedy unfolds.
 
END/BTK/SMA/