Tk 166cr Renovation Fails to Fix Potholes on Jashore-Chuknagar-Keshabpur Road

The Jashore to Chuknagar road via Keshabpur underwent repairs worth 1.66 billion taka near the end of the last government’s term. Three years later, potholes ranging from 6 inches to 8 or 10 inches deep have appeared across various parts of the 38 kilometer road. Vehicles now travel this route at serious risk while it awaits fresh repairs.

Critics allege corruption in the original project. They claim a blacklisted contracting firm used a different license to win the work. They also allege that officials trimmed the design approved by the ECNEC through irregularities, and that the repair work went to Mozahar International, a firm allegedly close to the Sheikh family, known for taking a 10 percent cut in the southern region. The road these contractors repaired has now broken down into large potholes, and the ongoing rainy season has made conditions worse. The stretch between Keshabpur and Manirampur municipal towns, and the road from Keshabpur toward Chuknagar, have especially large potholes that create serious trouble for heavy vehicles.

The 38 kilometer road runs from Rajarhat in Jashore to Chuknagar in Khulna. Poor construction quality caused the bitumen to peel away, creating potholes that collect water and worsen conditions. The sections passing through Keshabpur and Manirampur municipal towns are in the worst shape, with large potholes forming where the concrete surface has come apart.

The Roads and Highways Department carries out emergency repairs, but the road returns to its damaged state within a few days. The road lacks adequate space on either side, so trucks carrying goods and trailers carrying LPG fall into roadside ditches somewhere along the 38 kilometers almost every day. The road also lacks sufficient guard walls or colored boundary markers.

Conditions in the central part of Manirampur municipality are especially poor. Due to political influence at the time, the road remained limited to 22 feet wide instead of the planned 38 feet. As a result, traffic jams occur in the town every day from morning until night. Crossing just 2 kilometers of road in Manirampur town wastes 15 to 30 minutes. Vehicle owners and passengers who use this road face constant hardship.

Mr. Akbar Ali, a heavy truck driver in Keshabpur town, said the broken road has sharply increased damage costs for trucks. Mr. Abbas Uddin, a local journalist and principal in Manirampur, made the same complaint. He said pedestrians, drivers, and vehicle owners in the area suffer physical harm or vehicle damage almost every time they go out on the road because of the large potholes.

Ms. Shammi Sultana, the acting chief engineer of the Roads Division in Jashore, told Daily Inqilab that she recently inspected the 38 kilometer road and sent a proposal through the tender process for quick short term repairs. She said the repair work will begin once the tender process finishes in the next two to three weeks.

She also said this 38 kilometer road plays a vital role in connecting Mongla and Bhomra ports with the northern region of the country. Because of this importance, the government is considering a long term and sustainable repair plan for the road. A survey for a link road through the Manirampur municipal section is currently underway.

Local residents have called on senior authorities to pay urgent attention to this matter.