Around 50 families in Gaibandha’s Sadullapur upazila remain cut off after river erosion encircled their settlement, leaving them without road access and dependent on a fragile bamboo footbridge.
The affected area, Mahishbandi village in Rasulpur union, has seen the Ghaghat River gradually erode surrounding land over the past two years, turning the locality into an isolated pocket.
Residents now cross a broken bamboo bridge to move in and out, including children and elderly people, before walking nearly 500 metres along narrow field ridges to reach the nearest road.
A visit to Mahishbandi Purbapara, locally known as the island area, showed people navigating the risky structure daily, despite safety concerns.
Locals said more than 100 families have lived there for decades, most of them below the poverty line.
The settlement previously had river on three sides, but erosion has since extended the river’s reach, with water now surrounding homesteads and a large canal forming to the south, effectively trapping the community.
Residents said development elsewhere has not reached the area, and no road or bridge has been built despite longstanding demands.
They said the situation worsens during the monsoon, when rising water levels increase the risk of accidents and make movement more difficult.
In emergencies, the lack of access can prove critical, while children are increasingly falling behind in school due to fear and hardship linked to daily travel.
DPT Miah, a resident, said they cross the unstable bridge every day for basic needs, facing constant risk.
He said Azizur Rahman had died after falling from the bridge and urged authorities to build a road and bridge without delay.
School student Omar Faruk Miah, 12, said he is afraid to use the bridge on his way to school and had previously been injured in a fall, discouraging him from attending classes regularly.
Ful Miah said returning home at night is particularly difficult, as residents must walk through farmland in the absence of a proper route.
He added that the lack of access also complicates social matters such as arranging marriages.
Jamal Uddin said local representatives and officials often overlook such problems, even when they are repeatedly informed.
He said authorities should identify and resolve people’s suffering instead of ignoring it.
Rasulpur Union Parishad Panel Chairman Belal Hossain said the area had been visited earlier with the upazila nirbahi officer, and that a road and bridge are clearly needed.
He said the issue would be raised again with the relevant authorities.
Sadullapur Upazila Engineer Md Menaj said the office had not been aware of the problem earlier, but would now review the situation and take steps accordingly.
