United News of Bangladesh

The High Court on Wednesday ordered an eight-week halt to road construction work on the sand dunes of Cox’s Bazar sea beach and issued a rule in a contempt of court case filed over the alleged violation of an earlier court order protecting the beach’s natural features. The court also adjourned the contempt proceedings for eight weeks. The HC bench of Justice JBM Hassan and Justice Aziz Ahmed Bhuiyan passed the orders after hearing a contempt petition filed by Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) and a separate writ petition filed by Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association (BELA) seeking an immediate halt to the project Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury represented BELA while Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kajal and Deputy Attorney General Nur Mohammad Azmi represented the government. The petitions were filed after reports appeared in the media about construction activities being carried out on the beach dunes despite an earlier court order prohibiting such activities. According to the petitioners, Human Rights and Peace for Bangladesh (HRPB) had earlier filed a writ petition in the public interest seeking protection of Cox’s Bazar beach. The High Court in 2011 directed the authorities to preserve the natural features of the beach and remove all structures built on the sand dunes. The petitioners said various structures erected on the dunes had subsequently been removed on two occasions in compliance with court orders. Despite this, Cox’s Bazar Municipality later undertook a project to construct a road through the beach dunes. Advocate Minhajul Haque Chowdhury, a lawyer of BELA, said the Cox’s Bazar beach area falls within an Ecologically Critical Area (ECA), and any development work there requires clearance from the Department of Environment. He alleged that the authorities undertaking the project had obtained only land-use permission and started construction without the required environmental clearance, making the work unlawful. He also said the construction activities are prohibited within 300 metres of the sea beach under the relevant law, but the municipality was carrying out the project despite the restriction. Supreme Court lawyer Manzill Murshid, appearing for HRPB, said his organisation had filed the original writ petition in 2010 after various structures were being erected by occupying parts of the beach. The High Court subsequently directed the authorities to preserve the beach’s natural characteristics and remove structures from the dunes, and that the directions were eventually implemented after prolonged legal proceedings. The ongoing road construction inside the dunes is now damaging the natural features of the beach and amounts to contempt of court, he argued. Attorney General Ruhul Quddus Kajal and Deputy Attorney General Nur Mohammad Azmi said that the road was being constructed under a government-approved development project to facilitate public movement and support development in Cox’s Bazar. The Attorney General also urged the court not to issue any interim order in the case.

Though the road construction cost in Bangladesh is the highest in the world, durable roads are hardly constructed here. The Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway which turned unfit twice within eight months of renovation is not an exception. A portion of Kushtia-Rajbari regional highway, which was renovated barely eight months back has caved in at Golchattar near Kumarkhali bus stand for the second time, disrupting vehicular movement and raising the risk of accidents. Local people alleged that they are facing huge trouble every day while crossing the road. Read: Bhola-Barishal highway in horrible condition The regional highway was reconstructed eight months back and a portion of the road at Gol Chattar caved in on June 20 and it was then reconstructed. But again, another portion of the road collapsed again, making it unfit for vehicular movement, they said. The poor condition of the busy road raised questions about the quality of the work. Thousands of buses, trucks, private vehicles and other modes of vehicles use the road every day and the broken road has posed a great risk to both pedestrians and transports. Read Padma Bridge: Installation of all roadway slabs completed Councilor of Ward N 5 of Kumarkhali municipality said SM Rafiq said the road is being damaged frequently due to use of substandard materials in road construction and renovation work. “The road is under the jurisdiction of the Roads and Highways Department and so the municipality authority has nothing to do with it,” he said. Sources at the Roads and Highways Department said Johurul Islam construction of Meherpur reconstructed the road involving Tk 190 crore eight months back. Read Develop bond market as source of infrastructure financing Local people alleged that some workers died and some got hurt after the collapse of a roof of Kushtia Medical College recently and it was constructed by Johurul Islam Constructions but the controversial contractor firm are getting different work orders one after another due to unknown reasons. Executive Engineer of Roads and Highways Department Md Shakirul Islam said they will soon take steps to renovate the damaged portion of the road. Road construction cost in Bangladesh In a report on June 20, 2017, the World Bank presented a list of infrastructure costs, especially in road construction. It shows the cost of per kilometre road construction is $2.5 million to $11.9 million in Bangladesh, which is the highest in the world. Read Invest in infrastructure for potential halal market in Middle East: Speakers Officials at the Road Transport and Highways Division and Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) told UNB over 2,000 km of roads are needed to repair every year only because of overloaded vehicles. They said there are 2.85 lakh km roads under the LGED while some 21.03 km highways and district roads under the Road Transport and Highways Division.

Works of development projects are being hampered because of sand crisis as there is no fixed sand quarry (Balu Mahal) in Kurigram, government officials say.   A proposal from Rajarhat upazila administration for setting up nine sand quarries is yet to be approved by the government.   Sources say sand traders have long been lifting and selling sand illegally from different places in Rajarhat upazila using about 50 dredgers.   Rajarhat Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Jubayer Hossain confiscated and burned some of the dredgers during drives. Sand lifting remained suspended for a month which triggered sand crisis in the upazila.   According to the upazila Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) office, the ongoing development projects are - construction of 2,250-metre road at a cost of Tk 1.72 crore, 3,244-metre road for Tk 2.44 crore in Rajarhat union, work of 1,372-metre road at Tk 86.82 lakh, work of 1,028-metre road for Tk 67.38 lakh, work of 1,327-metre road at Tk 86.82lakh in Gharialdanga union, work of 100-metre road at a cost of Tk 62.18 lakh in Chhinai union, work 1,462-metre road in Rajmallir hat of Umar Majid union, work of 1,068-metre road from Milerpar to Bidhyananda in Chakirposhar union and work of 1,500 metre road at a cost of Tk 1.6 crore from Kalirhat to Bijlir bazar in Bidyananda union.   Besides, different road construction projects at a cost of around Tk 50 crore under the Rural Road and Culvert Maintenance Programme, Important Rural Infrastructure Development on priority Basis (IRIDP) and Rural development project (RDP) of LGED are also underway.   Amid sand crisis, works of several roads have been kept suspended.   Abu Taher Md Safi Babu, an engineer of upazila LGED, said development works of different areas of the upazila has been put on hold due to sand crisis.   According to upazila administration office source, a proposal was sent to the concerned ministry through the district administration for setting up sand quarries at Juykumar of Chhinai union, Sarishabari of Gharialdanga union, Pathanhat and Shiber Dah of Chakirposhar union, Chotura and Kalirhat of Bidyananda union, and Somnarayan and Thutapaikor of Nazimkhan union. Till now, the proposal has not been approved.   Rajarhat Upazila Chairman Zahid Iqbal Suhrawardy said setting up the sand quarries will solve the sand crisis and help resume works of the development projects.