Despite the Communication Minister Obaidul Quader’s frequent visits to different parts of the country, the highways still remain risky for home-bound passengers with Eid-ul-Fitr only one week away.
The minister’s deadline for repairing all these roads ended on July 20.
Communication Minister Obaidul Quader has assured that the damaged highways would be repaired by the next Eid.
He made the statement while visiting the capital’s Farmgate area yesterday.
Temporary surface repair to roads has further worsened the situation on the highways after monsoon rain. Fresh potholes have developed on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways, said our local correspondents.
While visiting Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Iliotganj under Daudkhandi upazila a bus of Tisha Paribhan was found stuck on the highway around 1:45pm yesterday.
Our Comilla correspondent reports: As the condition of roads is very bad vehicles remain stranded for hours on the highway.
The road at Gouripur was especially damaged after the monsoon rain even though it was repaired a few days ago. It has developed big potholes at different points.
Roads in front of Katherpool and Palki Chinema Hall at Chandina are dotted with small and large holes obstructing the movements of vehicles.
Construction of 88-kilometre four-lane road on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway has added to the problems of travelling on this route.
Under-construction box culverts at different points from Joydevpur to Mymensingh has slowed down the movement of vehicles resulting in long tailback.
Bangladesh Road Transport Workers’ Federation (BRTW) General Secretary Osman Ali said efforts are on to fix the roads.
Describing his trip from Dhaka to Mymensingh on Monday Osman said two kilometers of the road stretching from Gajipur Chourasta is uneven causing vehicles to jerk violently.
Also because of the monsoon rain over the last few days the road have developed potholes at on the Dhaka-Mymensingh highway, he said.
The transport leader said the roads in Trishal have become muddy as vehicles carrying fish spill water all over the road.
Road Division Secretary MAN Siddique however claimed over phone that the roads across the country are in good condition. “Home-bound passengers can travel without any hassle.”
Asked about why every year temporary repair is carried out just before Eid, Roads and Highway Department Chief Engineer Mafizul Islam said there are two on-going projects on the Dhaka-Chittagong and Dhaka-Mymensingh highways.
Problems surface as the development work is going on, he said adding that there would be no problem next year.
Our correspondent from Jessore adds: Although Communications Minister Obaidul Quader vowed to repair all highways across the country by July 20 to ease the sufferings of home-bound passengers ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr about 40 kilometres of the Jessore-Khulna highway is still in dire need of repair.
Local sources said commuters had to suffer needlessly while traveling through the highway. A large portion of the highway is severely accident prone as numerous potholes have recently appeared because of the monsoon rains.
“Vehicle very often break down because of the damaged road,” said truck driver Limon Mia.
Shafiqul Islam, employee of an NGO, said he has to go to Jessore from Nawapara industrial town every day except holidays.
He said: “I have to pray to Allah when I am on the road as the bus can overturn anytime. It also takes longer than ever before as the dilapidated road slows down the speed of vehicles.”
Businessman Sirajul Islam is also regular passenger on the highway. “The Journey on the highway is simply awful for me.”
Asaduzzaman, teacher of a private college, said the communications minister failed to keep his word.
He said: “Although the minister has already issued show-cause notice to many engineers for not complying with his directives, nobody is paying heed to his order.”
When contacted, Ziaul Haider, executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, told the Dhaka Tribune that the highway would be fit for vehicular movement by today.
According to a recent survey conducted by the Roads and Highway Department around 41% of roads and highways across the country are in a dilapidated state. Of them, 12% are severely run-down. Earlier, transport leaders in Chittagong threatened to stop plying vehicles in the district ahead of Eid, if the authorities concerned failed to repair the appalling roads by July 14.
A total of 16 teams are working to make the highways fit for smooth traffic. Some potholes have been created in Sitakunda, Chittagong, due to poor drainage system, claimed the minister.
Comilla correspondent Masudur Rahman, Gajipur correspondent Raihanul Islam Akandah and our Jessore reporter contributed to the report.