Kushtia, Aug. 2 -- Every monsoon, the swollen Padma River once again cuts off thousands of families living in the char areas of Daulatpur upazila from the mainland, turning even the most basic needs - medical care, education and access to markets - into daily challenges.

More than five decades after Bangladesh's independence, residents of Ramkrishnopurup and Chilmary unions along the Padma's char areas say the absence of just two bridges has left nearly 1,00,000 people largely isolated despite gradual improvements in schools, electricity and other public facilities.

For years, locals have been demanding the construction of bridges at Bhagjot and Sukharghat, saying the missing links have become the biggest obstacle to the region's develo...