Woeful state of a national highway
We are concerned about the pathetic state of the Khulna-Satkhira highway. Rebuilt at a cost of Tk 160 crore just five years ago, this 64-kilometre road, according to a report, now mostly resembles a broken patchwork of bricks and craters in many places. The misery for travellers begins right at Khulna's Zero Point. From there to Dumuria's Chuknagar, the road is riddled with potholes and treacherous surfaces that become clouded with dust when dry and waterlogged when it rains, causing accidents, vehicle damage, and frequent traffic delays. Around 16,000 vehicles are said to use the highway daily, with many operators claiming that travel time has doubled and repair costs continue to rise.
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Reportedly, this once-regional highway was reconstructed by Messrs Mozahar Enterprise in 2020 and later, in January 2023, upgraded to national highway status. But the fate of the road, and indeed its users, hasn't changed. In their defence, officials say that traffic volume has since increased significantly, particularly with goods transported from Bhomra land port to Dhaka, and that this heavy load has worsened the damage. But this should have been anticipated. Predicting expected traffic volume after the inauguration of a new project is a normal part of planning. Unfortunately, we tend to focus too much on politically enabled firms and their greed, overlooking that public officials responsible for construction are equally to blame. Unfortunately, negligent, inefficient, or corrupt officials behind many such poorly executed projects have rarely been held to account, even after the July uprising. This raises concerns about whether the culture of impunity is still being allowed to persist.
While it cannot be denied that the unanticipated and poorly regulated passage of heavy goods trucks did, and continues to, damage the road, the use of substandard construction materials, so often the hallmark of AL-era projects, seems equally responsible. Funding such shoddy work is the most immediate price we pay as taxpayers, with the subsequent sufferings from hastened road deterioration—caused by the accumulation of dust, mud, accidents, and traffic gridlock—making up the longer-term toll on commuters, businesses, and the broader economy.
We, therefore, urge the government, particularly the departments involved with road construction, to take strict measures in this respect. They must ensure that substandard construction practices are rooted out and that those responsible for poor planning and construction are held accountable. It is also vital that future projects are planned and executed properly. The Khulna-Satkhira highway is one of the most important trade routes in the country's southwest, so pending repair works must be conducted urgently.
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