The only means of transport for 11 char-villages in the river Padma under Bagha upazila of Rajshahi is the Buffalo-driven carts. Many people of these char villages earned their living by carrying goods on the Buffalo carts.
It is learnt, there are 11 char villages in the river Padma under Chalkrajapur Union of Bagha upazila. The villages are- Chalkrajapur, Kalidaskhali, Luxminagar, Dadpur, Udpur, Plassey Fatepur, Fatepur Plassey, Nich Plassey, Chowmadia, Atarpara and Diarkadirpur.
People living in these char villages use boats as the means of transport during the Monsoon and Buffalo carts during the dry seasons. Often the people of the villages crossed the shallow river by walking or through the bamboo bridges. There are six ferry ghats on the canals of the river Padma.
The ghats are Shimultiolaghat, Chandpur Ghat, Palparaghat, Sorerhatghat, Khoyerhat Cluberghat and Khoyerhat Halim Masterer Hat. Local people informed, if one bridge is constructed on the ghat, some 20,000 char people would easily move to the Upazila sadar. There are nine primary schools and two secondary schools in the Char villages, there is no college here. As a result, after passing the Secondary Certificate Examinations, most of the students abandoned their studies due to a lack of communication.
Belal Hossain, Upazila Engineer of Bagha informed, a project for the construction of a 600-metre bridge from Khayerhat to Halim Master Ghat has been sent to the concerned Ministry by the local Member of Parliament and the former State Minister for Foreign Affairs. The sufferings of movements of the people of Char villages will end with the construction of the bridge, he added.
