Barishal UP member accused of replacing rods with bamboo in bridge construction

A Union Parishad (UP) member in Agailjhara,
Barishal, Sohel Molla, has been accused of using bamboo instead of steel
reinforcement rods in the construction of a bridge, triggering criticism after
a video of the casting work circulated on social media.
The upazila nrbahi officer has since assured
that necessary action will be taken.
The bridge is being built over the
Dushmi–Karimbazar canal in Ratnapur Union, with funding from the Union
Parishad.
An initial allocation of Tk150,000 was provided
for the project, followed by an additional Tk100,000 for casting work, while
around Tk85,000 was also collected from local residents by UP member Sohel
Molla.
However, denying the allegations, UP member
Sohel Molla said, "Bamboo was used only in areas beyond the 45-foot span.
I did not do this, it was done by local residents."
According to the locals, it measures 45 feet in
length and 5.5 feet in width. Locals claim that although the bridge's actual
length is 55 feet, only 45 feet has been cast, while the concrete slab was made
about 3.5 inches instead of the required 5 inches.
Moreover, while steel rods are supposed to be
placed at intervals of 6 to 8 inches, they were installed at nearly one-foot
intervals, they added.
On Tuesday (14 April), casting on the northern
side of the bridge was completed using bamboo sticks.
Local resident Himu Molla said, "We had seen
bamboo being used instead of steel rods during the casting process, and the
poor quality of the work is such that the bridge could collapse even before its
inauguration."
Another resident Md Idris said, locals had
protested against such substandard construction, but the UP member did not pay
heed to their concerns.
Ratnapur Union Parishad Chairman Golam Mostafa
Sardar said funds had been allocated in phases and assured that action would be
taken if any irregularities were found.
Upazila Engineer Rabindra Chakraborty said the
casting work had not been reported to them, adding that carrying out such
construction without informing the LGED department is a violation of
regulations.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer Likhon Bonik said he had
seen the matter on social media and that necessary steps would be taken after a
field inspection.
















