Faridpur, June 14 -- On the tranquil banks of a sleepy branch of the mighty Padma River, dreams once stirred with the first blows of construction.

A 580-metre bridge, envisioned to link Faridpur's bustling district town with the isolated char areas beyond the waters, now stands as a monument to delay, disillusionment and desertion.

Seven long years have drifted by like the currents below, yet the bridge remains unfinished-its promise trapped in rusting rods and skeletal girders.

For the thousands who live in the char lands, life is an endless wait, punctuated by engine boat rides and the hope that each passing season might bring a new dawn.

The bridge, part of the "Polli Soroke Guruttopurno Setu Nirman" initiative, stretches across th...