It has been one year since the tragic boat sinking at Auliya Ghat on the Karatoya River in Panchagarh. 71 people lost their lives in a boat while drowning on their way from this ghat in Boda Upazila to Badeswari temple for Mahalaya puja. After that incident, the initiative to build the bridge was taken, but the work did not start.
After the incident, railway minister Nurul Islam Sujan, Member of Parliament for Panchagarh-2 Constituency, announced the construction of a bridge at Aulia Ghat. 1 thousand 180 meters in length and 7.32 meters in width bridge design work is also done. Although the tender is supposed to be held in December, the construction work has not yet started. Locals said that Barashashi and Kaliaganj Unions of Boda Upazila are on the opposite side of Kartowa. People of these two unions rely on boats to go to upazila cities. Their demand for a bridge at this ghat is long-standing.
The boat sinking capsized happened at Aulia Ghat in Boda Upazila of Panchagarh on September 25 last year. The shallow-engined boat capsized on its way to Vadeswari temple while crossing the Karatoa with hundreds of passengers. 72 passengers of the boat went missing after the accident. 71 bodies were found among them. It can be seen on the surface because there is no bridge, the residents are still crossing the river on boats or bamboo poles.
Mahmud Zaman, Executive Engineer of Panchagarh LGED, said that the local government engineering department has already completed all the processes in the construction of the bridge of 1 thousand 180 meters in length and 7.32 meters in width at Aulia Ghat. Now I’m just waiting for the tender. Meanwhile, the boat sinking capsized on the way to Badeswari temple for the last Mahalaya puja, this time the temple committee announced the puja in an informal way.
