Cries for road repair ignored for long

Part of the Burimari - Paglapir at Jaldhaka market after a light shower. PHOTO: Star File Photo

Potholes and ditches were developed at many points of the 88- kilometre road linking the Dhaka-Dinajpur highway. Some loaded trucks narrowly escaped accidents during rain.

The people of Jaldhaka under the banner of 'Jaldhaka Shartho Sangrakhon Committee', a citizens' committee, are agitating for the last one and a half months for immediate repair of the road. As part of their agitation programme, they held meetings and brought out processions, staged token hunger strike, created road barricade and laid siege to the offices of Nilphamari Deputy Commissioner's (DC) and Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) chief engineer at Rangpur. They called hartal on June 12, but the programme was withdrawn later considering the prevailing political situation.

Earlier, committee convenor Shamsuzzaman Shamu who is also convenor of Greater Rangpur Importers and Exporters Association, threatened indefinite hartal demanding repair of the vital road.

Everyday, at least 250 trucks loaded with 25 tons of goods ply along the road. Although Burimari port is situated at Patgram in Lalmonirhat, the road which leads to port runs through six upazilas in three districts. But a major part of it runs through Jaldhaka which is in bad shape.

The Roads and Highways Department (RHD) controls 30-kilometre portion of the road. The rest 58-kilometre portion was built by BWDB in mid-80s. Now both the offices expressed inability to repair the road due to lack of fund.

While contacted, local Jamaat lawmaker Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury said the entire portion of the road was handed over to the RHD in December. Later, a 38-crore proposal was submitted to the Planning Commission for approval but to no effect, he said.

However, the lawmaker expressed optimism saying he along with three lawmakers in the area would meet the finance minister for approval of the proposal by both the Planning Commission and ECNEC .