Sifayet Ullah

A renovated railway track at Chattogram’s Soloshohor Junction has remained unused for 20 months since its completion, raising serious questions over planning and accountability.

The longstanding demand for turning the busy Chattogram–Kaptai Road into four lanes has once again been ignored, leaving students of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology and locals frustrated.

The Chattogram Development Authority’s (CDA) residential project in West Chararkul of Fatehabad has seen at least six buildings constructed since its launch in 2016, but none has design approval from the authority.

The Roads and Highways Department’s move to expand the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar highway running through the Chunati Wildlife Sanctuary could spell disaster for wildlife habitats and disrupt several key elephant corridors in the ecologically sensitive area, warn forest officials and environmentalists.

At least nine makeshift markets have been built dangerously close to the tracks along the Chattogram-Cox’s Bazar rail line while the Bangladesh Railway authorities have turned a blind eye to the menace.

A large number of Chittagong University students who had been living in private lodgings in nearby areas have temporarily moved to on-campus dormitories, citing safety concerns following recent back-to-back clashes between students and locals in the adjacent Jobra village.

Just a month after a major eviction drive, land reclaimed by the Water Development Board (WDB) has once again come under fresh encroachment, raising concerns over the sustainability of the operation.

After a long day at the office, Mohammad Masud, a private company employee living in Chattogram city, faces another battle while returning home -- one that makes his days even more exhausting.