Three years after a Tk18.96 crore bridge was completed over the Dhatri River in Sreepur, Gazipur, local residents are still unable to use it as a land acquisition dispute has stalled construction of its approach road.
Around 30 families living in 20 households are affected by the acquisition of 1 acre and 37 decimals of land needed to build the road on the northern side of the bridge.
Six families have already received compensation, while 24 others are still waiting for their payments.
The affected families allege that local resident Mobarak Hossain filed a court case claiming ownership of the acquired land and demanding Tk50 lakh from them to withdraw the case.
Protesting the alleged harassment and extortion, more than 100 residents from the affected families formed a human chain on Tuesday near Paital Bari, beside the northern side of the bridge at Baromi Bazar.
They demanded that the authorities ensure compensation is paid to the genuine landowners and investigate the alleged extortion.
Affected residents Sohel Mia, Faruk Mia and Manzurul said compensation should be paid to whoever legally owns the acquired land.
“We want the administration to ensure that genuine landowners receive their rightful compensation and that no one can intimidate or illegally demand money from them,” they said.
Another affected resident, Liton Mia, said they were facing various complications and pressure in receiving compensation for their land.
“We urge the administration to closely monitor the matter so that no one can take undue advantage of the situation,” he said.
Mobarak Hossain and Hridoy, who have been accused by the affected families, acknowledged that they currently have no structures on the acquired land. However, they claimed they owned property there but were not currently in possession of it.
They said ownership of the land and entitlement to compensation should be determined based on documents and the law. They denied the allegations of demanding money or harassing the affected families.
The Roads and Highways Department acquired 1 acre and 37 decimals of land for the approach road. Of the 13 plots involved, 12 are recorded as privately owned, while one is listed under Khas Khatian No 1 as government land.
The bridge, measuring around 98 metres in length, was constructed by the Roads and Highways Department at a cost of Tk18.96 crore to ease public suffering in the area. Construction began in January 2021 and was completed in September 2023.
However, the approach road remains incomplete due to the land acquisition dispute, leaving the bridge unusable nearly three years after its completion.
When contacted, Sreepur Upazila Assistant Commissioner (Land) Nahid Niaz Shishir said he was unaware of the matter.
“I know nothing about this issue. You can speak to the UNO for details,” he said.
Despite several attempts to contact Sreepur Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) Nahid Bhuiyan on his official phone number, he did not answer.