Bridge lies unused for damaged road

A 15-metre bridge construction project over the Ghungijuri canal in Moulvibazar, undertaken by the Directorate of Disaster Management in the financial year 2021-22, has turned into a failure even before its official inauguration.

The project, awarded to contractor company "Friends Enterprise" from Kulaura upazila at a cost of approximately Tk 81 lakh, was completed by the end of June.

However, the brick-built link road on both sides of the bridge succumbed to constant rain and became completely unusable just a few days after it was finished.

Locals have raised concerns over the use of substandard materials in the road's construction. The bridge, meant to serve as a crucial transportation route for at least 5,000 people from the north and west Shahpur on a daily basis, now stands useless.

STEALING BRICKS FOR 'PUBLIC INTEREST'

In a bizarre turn of events, a local named Mahtab Mia seized the opportunity presented by the deteriorated connecting road and decided to embark on an "entrepreneurial venture", demonstrating what he called "public interest".

He gathered 10,000 bricks that lay scattered on the dilapidated road and took it upon himself to find these bricks a new home -- in the hands of eager buyers in the vicinity.

Contacted, Mahtab revealed his "master plan", defending his actions by suggesting that he collected the bricks to save them from falling into the hands of thieves who wanted to sell them for profitable purposes.

"I merely collected 3,000 bricks, which were then sold at Tk 13,500 per thousand," he explained. Mahtab also claimed that his intentions were pure, as he wanted to repair the road with the money he earned.

When pressed on who granted him the responsibility for this peculiar endeavour, he casually brushed off any concerns, asserting that he acted entirely out of sheer "public interest".

DILAPIDATED ROADS

Upon visiting the area, this correspondent discovered the connecting road on both sides of the bridge had completely caved in, leaving a trail of scattered bricks in its wake.

Jubel Ahmed, a local, lamented the dire consequences of the road's collapse, as it inflicted significant hardships on the community, particularly students of local schools and madrasas who hoped the route would make their daily commutes easier.

"The road's subpar construction with inferior materials appeared to be the root cause of its rapid deterioration," he said.

Other locals echoed the same.

Mokhtadirul Islam, owner of the contractor company, claimed that they had taken measures to deploy sufficient soil on the link road.

"However, unforeseen circumstances arose as the ground failed to hold firm, leading to the road's dilapidation, further exacerbated by relentless rain," he added.

Project Implementation Officer Mizanur Rahman assured that a thorough investigation would be conducted to determine the exact cause of the road's collapse. He revealed that they have the scope to make the contractor firm repair the road at their own expense, as per contacts, if proof of using low-quality materials is found. "We'll investigate the matter."

Juri UNO Ranjan Chandra Dey confirmed that he had received a complaint concerning the unauthorised removal and sale of bricks from the link road. He vowed to take appropriate action after an investigation.