BNP Government’s Development: Crore-Taka Road Falls Apart in Less Than a Month, Concrete Crumbles at the Touch of a Hand!

Staff Reporter

The road was renovated to end a long-standing problem. The locals had hoped that this time travel would be easier and the communication system would be sustainable. But disappointment has set in before those hopes were fulfilled.

Less than a month after the completion of the renovation work, the pouring is starting at various places on the Shahtoli District Prison Road in Chandpur Sadar Upazila.

Locals showed the reporter that in some places, the welded parts were crumbling with the slightest pressure from the hand.

Locals have started mocking and ridiculing the BNP government’s reforms, calling them ‘show-off development’.

Local residents are angry at the state of the road, which was renovated at a cost of one crore taka. Their question is, why is the road’s cast-in-place deteriorating so quickly despite spending so much money? They want answers on whether quality materials were used during the work, whether the cast-in-place was done properly, and whether there was proper supervision during the construction work.

According to local sources, the road from the district jail to Shahtoli Bazar had been in a bad condition for a long time. After the media reported on the poor condition of the road, renovation work was carried out. However, there have been allegations that the cast-iron slabs have come off at various places in less than a month after the work was completed.

Local residents recently brought the issue to the attention of media personnel while passing by the road. On-site, the road was seen to be covered in concrete at several places.

Locals said that the welding of some parts is so weak that it crumbles with the slightest pressure of the hand, raising concerns about the road’s durability.

Local residents Abdur Rashid and Baharul Islam said that the locals have suffered a lot as the road has not been repaired for a long time. The common people, including school and college students, have to suffer every day.

They had hoped for relief when renovation work began recently, but that expectation was not met due to the poor quality of the work.

Vehicle drivers Bikash, Farid, Sujan Mia and many others said that after a long period of suffering, initiatives were taken to repair the road. But they are skeptical about whether the road will last long as questions have been raised about the quality of the work.

Locals complain that the incident of the road’s casting coming off within a short period of renovation should not be avoided by just temporarily repairing it. It is necessary to investigate why this happened.

They demanded that everything be verified, including the construction quality of the damaged parts, the thickness of the welds, the materials used, and the supervision during the work.

When asked about the reason for the lifting of the cast, Sadar Upazila Engineer Mohammad Raihat Amin Patwari said, “During the casting on Shahtoli District Prison Road, speed breakers were illegally constructed at several places. They were constructed at the request of school teachers and local residents. Due to this, it was not possible to properly cast the cast at several places on the road.”

The upazila engineer said that the road was renovated at a cost of one crore taka.

He claims that all parts of the road are good, but there are some problems in one or two places. He has inspected the road on site and instructed the contractor to resolve the problems.

When contacted to inquire about the quality of the renovation work and the reason for the lifting of the cast, the contractor concerned, Md. Alamgir, said that the areas where problems had arisen on the road have been fixed.

However, local residents say that the actual condition of the damaged parts must be verified and necessary measures must be taken. Mere assurance of repairs is not enough; it is important to impartially examine whether there were any irregularities or technical defects in the renovation work.

It is the responsibility of the concerned authorities to ensure the durability of roads built or renovated with government funds. When allegations arise that the cast-in-place concrete has been removed within a short period of time after the work is completed, it is natural to raise questions about the quality of construction and supervision.

In the case of the Shahtali District Prison Road, it is now necessary to properly inspect the damaged parts, determine the cause of the defect, and take action against the person or organization concerned if liability is found.

The local people now hope that the road, which was renovated at a cost of one crore taka after a long period of suffering, will not cause suffering again.