Both the old and new roads on Dhaka-Chittagong highway are in a dilapidated condition. The snap was shot in Sitakunda area. banglar chokh After failing to get secretary and additional secretary of road and bridge ministry, former state minister Zafrul Islam Chowdhury found deputy secretary Delwar Hossian. Zafrul Islam entered deputy secretary’s office with a request regarding Banskhali road of hisarea. It was revealed that different parts of Banskhali-Anwara-Tuitong regional highway is full of potholes. No mentionable repair work has been done. It is difficult to move thereon. So, Zafrul has come with the request. Deputy secretary Delwar Hossain honoured this former MP of Chittagong-15 seat by addressing him as “MP Shaheb.” Hearing the request of the former MP, the deputy secretary contacted over telephone the executive engineer of Dohazari road division. Over the phone he said, according to the record in the ministry the work order to repair this road was given on April 28. No work has been done yet. From the other end the executive engineer of Dohajari claimed that fifty percent of the work has been completed. The total work will be completed within October. Zafrul failed to understand how the fifty percent work will be completed within one month. Stating that the people of the area are suffering, Zafrul requested the deputy secretary to fill the potholes. This scenario was witnessed between 2-30 pm to 3 pm on Sunday. Similar scenario is very common in the offices of different officials during the office hours everyday. It is learnt that 7,000 km roads under the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) have become risky for journey vulnerable. Of those, condition of Dhaka-Chittagong and Joydevpur-Maymensingh roads is worse. Dhaka-Tangail highway is full of potholes. A statistics of RHD says 800 places of the roads were affected due to flood. Not only former lawmaker Zafrul Islam Chowdhury but also incumbent cabinet members, advisers and MPs are demanding renovation of the damaged highways and construction of new roads. They are requesting the ministry concerned by issuing DO letter and personal communications. Some of them would like to get overpass and some others ferry to avoid accidents. The ministry concerned received over hundred requests in last one month but it has to handle the situation tactfully for lack of fund. Road Transport and Bridge Minister Obaidul Kader and other official concerned are examining the road condition and monitoring the renovation work ahead of Puja and Eid occasions. The repair works were being affected due to heavy precipitation. As such, journey of passengers is being disrupted. Sources at RHD said Tk 1,300 crore is allocated for renovation work. But the engineers and experts cannot work due to flood. It is learnt that 800 km highway, 1,000km regional roads and 6,000km district-level-roads are affected now. Around 58.75 percent of the district roads are not eligible for plying of vehicles. A list is being prepared for repairing the roads permanently. The RHD has taken a project worth Tk 2,000 crore to repair district roads under 10 zones. Under the project, 143km in Dhaka zone, Mymensingh zone 123km, Sylhet zone 79km, Comilla zone 238km, Chittagong zone 160km, Rajshahi zone 230km, Rangpur zone 211km, Gopalganj zone 24km and Barisal zone 107km roads will be repaired. Starting from November this year, the work will continue till June, 2016. The MPs are lobbying for renovation of the roads under their constituencies. On September 8, Tangail-6 MP Khandker Abdul Baten sent a letter requesting the authorities to upgrade the road between Salimabad and Dhubria into a concrete one and expand it. His demand includes construction of two culverts. Addressing Obaidul Kader, he wrote a letter saying “Nagorpur-Delduar upazila is my constituency. The people have become backward literally and culturally due to river erosion and undeveloped communications system. I want the above-mentioned 12 feet brick soling road to be expanded to 18 feet and two culverts to be constructed. If the road is constructed, communication and economic conditions of the people living southwestern region of Tangail and southeastern region of Sirajganj will improve.” Prime Minister’s Economic Affairs Adviser Dr Mashiur Rahman sent a DO letter to the Ministry of Road Transport and Bridges on the same day. He demanded a bridge and good ferry to ensure smooth journey in Khulna area. Finance Minister AMA Muhith wanted to have a level crossing on Olipur-Laskarpur and Sorail-Habiganj highways under Sylhet. He demanded construction of underpass and overpass. State Minister for Public Administration Ismat Ara sent a similar letter on September 17. He underscored the need for improvement of Keshobpur road at Jessore. Jessore(Rajarhat)-Monirampur-Keshobpur-Chuknagar regional highway is playing important role in the communication system of the area. This road is often used as an alternative route between Khulna and Satkhira. He further said Keshobpur is gradually turning to an industrial hub. There are many poultry farms, hatcheries, poultry feed and fish feed industries in the area. The businessmen are thinking to construct jute industries and cold storage. He said the above-mentioned road was being ignored for long resulting in many potholes. State Minister for Social Welfare Promod Mankin, MP, elected from Mymensingh-1 constituency, sent a letter this month. He wrote that the 20-kilometre long road of Haluaghat upazila sadar to Nalitabari upazila sadar remains kutcha since British-Pak regime. This is the only road that people of these upazilas are using for communications. Some parts of the road of Haluaghat have been made pucca but 6 kilometres road remained kutcha. He requested to make the remaining road pucca. Md Mahbubul Alam Hanif, MP, elected from Kushtia-3 and Joint General Secretary of Awami League sent a letter on September 16. In his letter he requested for urgent repair of Kushtia-Poradah-Alamdanga-Chuadanga road under PMP. He also wrote that Kushtia-Poradah-Alamdanga-Chuadanga road is an important regional highway. This road has been maintaining communications between Kushtia and Chuadanga district. Mentioning Khajanagar as the largest rice producing area of the country, he wrote many heavy vehicles have been plying this road everyday. Now it remains unfit for vehicular movement. Though the road is repaired by filling with brickbats and sand for vehicular movement, permanent repairing is yet to start. The image of the government is tarnishing. He requested the authorities concerned for repairing the road during the current fiscal under PMP. Suranjit Sengupta, MP of Sunamganj-2 and president of parliamentary standing committee on law, justice and parliamentary affairs sent a letter on September 8 to the ministry. In the letter he requested the ministry for construction of the Modonpur Dirai Salla road through HBB instead of bituminous road and wanted allocation worth Tk 5 crore for construction of a Bailey bridge over local Machua khal. He also requested for HBB road instead of flexible pavement. He mentioned that this road is only link of communications between Salla upazila to Sunamganj district. This road is 19-kilometre long. At this moment pavement undulation may be created if the road is constructed by flexible pavement, the letter mentioned. SM Mostafa Roshidi (Suja), MP, Khulna-4 informed the ministries through his letter that communication facility of his constituency – Rupsa, Terkhada and Digholia – still remains neglected. He requested to repair the Khulna part of Rupsa-Fakirhat-Bagerhat road, Khulna-Rupsha-Sreefaltala-Terkhada road and Nagarghat-Adoa-Gazirhat-Terkhada road. Md Abdul Wadud, MP, Rajshahi-5 sent a letter on September 24. Mentioning importance of Puthia to Taherpur road, he wrote that this road was repaired in 2010-11 fiscal. But it was damaged as soon as the year passed. A tender has been invited for repairing the road. Gazi Golam Dastagir, MP, Narayanganj-1 sent a letter to the ministry requesting construction of a bridge over the river Balu. Ruhul Amin, MP of Kurigram-4 mentioned in his letter that Roumari-Jamalpur road has been damaged by flood water which disrupted communications. Anupam Shahjahan, MP of Tangail-8 in his letter requested the ministry for expansion of Basail-Bhatkura road to 18 foot. Ministers and lawmakers are upset as they cannot smoothly move by Dhaka-Chittagong and Joydepur- Mymensingh Highways. Common people are also urging them to complete the repair work soon. Communications Minister Obaidul Quader is repeatedly visiting the highways and instructing the engineers. But the road condition has been worsened due to rainy season. Potholes along with mud have been developed in various places of Dhaka-Chittagong and Joydebpur- Mymensingh Highways. Drivers are facing difficulties in controlling vehicles. Passengers and drivers are disappointed as double time is being spent to reach the destination. The latest progress report of the ministry said some 58 percent work of Dhaka-Chittagong (four lanes) highway has been completed. Sources of Roads and Highways Department said the condition of 66 kilometers roads was in bad condition three months ago and now it has increased to 110 kilometers. Some 90 kilometers road in the part of Comilla is mostly vulnerable. A driver of Hanif Paribahan Arman Miah said, now it is taking 10 to 12 hours time instead of six hours to reach Chittagong from Dhaka. According to information by highway police, potholes and cracks have been developed in Daudkandi, Hasanpur, Shaheednagar, Haripur, Iliotganj Bazar, Chandina Bazar, Mohammad Ali Bazar, in front of Moynamoti Cantonment, Alekharchar, Kalir Bazar, Amanganda, Miah Bazar and many other places of the highways. The four lane construction work is going on from Joydebpur to Mymensingh. According to latest account of the ministry concerned on an average 49 percent of work made progress in four parts. It was observed during the spot visit that most of the places of the parts number one and two running under army made progress while two other parts got less progress. Some parts from Salna to Bhaluka are fine while many parts are now in vulnerable condition. Water stagnated in the areas of Masterbari, IPSA, Rajendrapur, Totapara. Though renovation work is going on in 55 kilometers of the part of Trisal and Bhaluka, the condition is very deplorable due to rain. A regular passenger of Ena Paribahan Mamunur Rashid said it is taking six hours to reach the destination instead of two hours.
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