Payra Bridge leaves thousands jobless

The long-awaited Payra Bridge was inaugurated on October 24, facilitating road transport between the Kuakata seaport and popular tourist destinations near Barishal and Patuakhali districts.

However, hundreds of businesses along with the Lebukhali Ferry Terminal have been closed down, rendering thousands of people jobless.

People of Patuakhali can now easily travel to Kuakata from Barishal without having to ride a ferry through the Lebukhali river terminal.

However, the 40-year-old ferry terminal has become obsolete after the construction of the bridge, and local businesses centring it are suffering.

Quoting local businessmen, Ashrafuzzaman Khokon, chairman of Bharpasha union in Bakerganj upazila, and Hasan Mahmud Dulal, chairman of Lebukhali union of Dumki upazila, said the ferry terminal was providing a livelihood for thousands of people of the respective districts.

Over 376 and 539 retail shops -- comprising restaurants, grocery shops, tea stalls, fruit shops, filling stations -- along the Barishal and Patuakhali sides of the terminal, respectively, have been closed down, and around 200 hawkers, who used to sell different snacks to the commuters, have become jobless.

During a recent visit, The Business Post found that the ferry terminal, which used to be crammed with passengers, commuters, and hawkers, is now almost vacant and lifeless as the Road Transport and Highways Division concluded the operation of the ferry services a week ago.

This correspondent found many frustrated businessmen lingering around the area, anxious about their future. They said the terminal had been their only source of income, and now they were struggling to provide for their families.

While 15 to 20 affluent businessmen rebuilt their shops by the side of the bridge, most of them are suffering financially and eagerly waiting for any governmental help.

One such businessman, Md Nurujjaman Farazi, a tea stall owner at the river terminal, told The Business Post he had been selling tea for the last 35 years, but now he had become jobless.

Milon, who has sold pickles at the terminal for the last 12 years, said he was happy that the bridge had been built and mitigated people’s suffering, but he was struggling due to the economic crisis caused by the establishment of the bridge.

Shahjahan Miah, who sells flattened rice to commuters, said as a resident of the area, he was happy that the prime minister had kept her promise and fulfilled their long-awaited dream by building the bridge.

However, he has become jobless and awaits some governmental assistance so that he can kick-start his business.

Another hawker at the terminal, Anowar Hawladar, who has been selling fried flattened rice for the last 20 years, told The Business Post, “If I can sell the snack worth Tk 2,000 a day, the owner will give me Tk 500.”

“It used to be enough to provide for my family. However, now I do not know what I am going to do,” said the hawker, adding he would try to sell his products on the bridge now.

Aslam Gazi, a fruit vendor of the area, said, “I was able to educate four of my siblings and three of my children with the income from my fruit shop. It has been my only income source for decades, and now I do not know how I would run my family.”

A labour leader at the ferry terminal, Abdur Rashid, told The Business Post if the government had taken the initiative to establish an eco-park, a market, and a launch terminal in the area, these people would have been able to find jobs.

Divisional Commissioner of Barishal Md Saiful Hasan Badal told The Business Post the establishment of the bridge was necessary for the economic development of the division, but they are aware of the massive unemployment it had created.

“If the people who lost their jobs apply to us through the respective authorities, we will request the ministry concerned to assist them financially,” he said.