Some three lakh people, living in Rajnagar upazila of Moulvibazar district and Balaganj upazila of Sylhet district have been suffering badly as the Moulvibazar-Rajnagar-Kheyaghat Bazar Road has become unfit for movement due to lack of renovation work for years.
Local authorities handed over the renovation work of the 17-km long Moulvibazar-Rajnagar-Kheyaghat Bazar Road, an important artery serving the people of at least two upazilas, to the Local Government and Engineering Department (LGED) in 2019 but no visible steps have been taken yet.
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Now the renovation work of the road might not see any development soon due to the country's budget constraints and changes in the political landscape, said sources.
During a recent visit to the road, the UNB correspondent saw that the road is not suitable for movement of any vehicles as many big potholes have developed, especially following the recent flood and collapse of the flood protection dam of the Manu River, that inundated a vast tract of land spanning Rajnagar, Sadar, Panchgaon and Fatehpur union, leading to an increase in accidents.
According to the Roads and Highways Department's Moulvibazar unit, after taking over the road in 2019, only minor brick surfacing work was done due to a lack of funds.
Cracks have developed on 90% of the road and continuous rainfall often leads to waterlogging in areas such as Rajnagar Sadar, Mokam Bazar, Azad's Bazar, and Madhur Dokan.
Furthermore, parts of the road have been encroached by local businesses, narrowing the roadway and causing frequent traffic jams.
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To improve the connectivity between Moulvibazar and Sylhet, there was a proposal to introduce a ferry service across the Kushiara River, but it has yet to be implemented, leading to frequent boat accidents.
However, the authorities concerned of the two districts have taken an initiative to construct a bridge over the Kushiara River and construct a road through land acquisition at a cost of Tk 1000 crore, and the proposal was sent to the Road and Highways Department.
The proposed bridge would connect Hamidpur in Rajnagar upazila, Moulvibazar, to Radhakona in Balaganj upazila of Sylhet district.
A design was made and a consultant has been appointed for the construction of the bridge's approach road but the project’s future is still in limbo due to the political turmoil in the country.
Former chairman candidate of Fatehpur union in Rajnagar upazila, Amir Ali, expressed frustration over the long-standing neglect of the road, leading to higher transportation costs and disruptions to bus services.
Abur Raiyan Shaheen, Rajnagar upazila Jamaat leader, highlighted that the road is a vital route for several thousands of residents from both sides of the Kushiara River.
Due to the lack of repairs, sections of the road were cut off during recent Hindu religious festivals in the region, causing sufferings to the Moulvibazar, Balaganj commuters.
Vice-President of Moulvibazar district unit BNP, Jami Ahmed, demanded immediate steps to renovate the roads.
In response, Executive Engineer of Moulvibazar Roads and Highways Department, Md Kaysar Hamid, confirmed that a tender was floated for the repair work of the road and an additional engineer from the Sylhet zone is overseeing the tender process. If the authorities concerned approve a necessary budget, the repair work can begin soon.