Left a backward district for years, Gopalganj has seen comprehensive development works on different fronts in the last 15 years due to the direct supervision of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who has helped connect different upazilas through the construction of a large road network.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) deserves credit for the implementation of the plans that have changed the face of the district full of water bodies and the livelihood of the people.
Sheikh Hasina, the elder daughter of the Father of the Nation, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, is lauded by the people in her home district for the easy travel to all parts of the country, including the capital Dhaka, creation of employment opportunities, promotion of higher education and modernization of agriculture, healthcare facilities and scientific research—thus strengthening the rural economy to a greater extent.
In the near future, the district will be connected to the Khulna-Mongla and Dhaka-Jessore rail routes while gas distribution and the establishment of an economic zone will propel the growth manifold.
In the last 15 years, the LGED has carried out development activities involving Tk3,687 crore across the district. Of this, about 2,200 kilometres of paved roads and 14.32km of bridges and culverts have been constructed, said LGED Gopalganj Executive Engineer Md Ehsanul Haque.
Bangabandhu Poverty Alleviation and Rural Development Academy (Bapard) in Kotalipara, a modern Eidgah in line with Islamic architecture, unique meeting memorial of Bangabandhu and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy, beautification of Bangabandhu Memorial Landing Ramp at the steamer ghat in Tungipara, preservation and construction of memorial monuments, Liberation War Memorial Museum, construction of Union Parishad building, development of 35 village markets, construction of eco-friendly block roads, graveyards and cremation grounds, temples and mosques.
Agriculture, education and health
One of the major development initiatives of the government is the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University, located in Gobra—some 7km away from the city—on a 50-acre area of land. Currently, the university has over 10,000 students and 298 teachers in 34 departments.
The massive project for the construction of Sheikh Sayera Khatun Medical College, a 500-bed hospital, and a nursing training institute worth Tk600 crore has already been completed. The outdoors of the hospital was opened in February of this year.
The government has also implemented three major projects to develop the agriculture sector of Gopalganj and the nearby districts where the adverse impacts of climate change are seen, damaging lives and livelihoods every year.
The sub-centre of the Bangladesh Institute of Nuclear Agriculture (BINA) in Gopalganj Sadar was inaugurated in 2012-13, and the Rice Research Institute’s regional office began operation in 2018. It works to increase agricultural production in Gopalganj, Bagerhat, and Narail.
Moreover, the construction of the Agriculture Research Institute at Ghonapara has been completed. It is responsible for extensive research on agriculture, with a focus on Gopalganj, Pirojpur, Satkhira, Bagerhat, and Khulna.
To offer world-class training, the government has established Bapard in Kotalipara, which caters for the needs of 21 nearby districts—a third such centre in the country.
On the other hand, a project is underway to develop the banks of the Tungipara Canal around the Bangabandhu Mausoleum, and to construct a manufacturing plant for Essential Drugs Company Limited. The medicine plant will generate around 1,200 jobs, officials say. The government has also extended the Bscic industrial area at Haridaspur to boost small and medium enterprises.
Ghonapara: The new town
After taking office in 2009, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took up a plan to develop Ghonapara, a locality in the middle of Gopalganj Sadar and Tungipara, to offer modern education, healthcare, and training facilities.
Since 2017, the Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Eye Hospital at Ghonapara has served around 1,000 patients outdoors and conducted 1,000 free surgeries, thus reducing the suffering of the poor people of the area.
Academic activities at the Sheikh Rehana Textile Engineering College in the same area started last year, while the Sheikh Lutfar Rahman Dental College is under construction.
Previously, the government established a modern Trauma Centre, Technical Training Centre and Primary Training Institute at Ghonapara.
Connecting remote areas
Bangabandhu College Economics Department’s Associate Professor Md Habibur Rahman said the development works have led to the expansion of monetary activities in this once-backward district and greatly improved the quality of life of the people.
Due to the creation of the road network, entrepreneurs have invested in around 30,000 fisheries, 15,000 poultry farms, 4,000 cattle farms, and 2,000 agriculture-based farms in village areas. The cottage and handicraft industries have also evolved significantly. Employment for at least 50,000 people has been created in these sectors, he told Dhaka Tribune.
"The sale and purchase of markets at the village level have increased. As a result, the economy has strengthened. With the improvement of communication systems, farmers can easily market their agricultural, fishery, and livestock products. They are benefiting from the fair price of these products. The people of the village are getting the facilities of the city due to the extensive development of the government," he explained.
Director of Gopalganj Chamber of Commerce and Industry Niyamte Khoda Iqbal Hossain said the LGED did not stop only by constructing roads, bridges, culverts, and infrastructure; they have decorated Gopalganj, the proud home district of Father of the Nation, with a new look.
"Their development activities have expanded commercial activities in Gopalganj. The economy has picked up speed," he told Dhaka Tribune.
Journalist and poet Rabindra Nath Adhikari from the remote Kalabari village in Kotalipara said days were spent going to my village by boat from Gopalganj city. "Now I can go to the village in just two hours. The LGED has implemented the development activities undertaken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Now the people of Kalabari are enjoying the benefits of the city."
Nanda Lal Biswas, a resident of Gopalpur village in Tungipara and teacher of Barshapara Sonar Bangla High School in Kotalipara, said: "There was no road connection in our village. But now roads, bridges, and culverts have been constructed here. So you can go to Tungipara or Kotalipara upazila headquarters in just 30 minutes from Gopalpur."
Munsi Atiyar Rahman, a resident of Bedgram in Chanda Beel of Muksudpur Upazila, said: "Our Chanda Beel was disconnected from the mainland. During the rainy season, boat travel was possible. But travel during the dry season was impossible on foot.
"There was no end to our woes in terms of commuting. Many products, including fish, would rot here. Our days were spent in indescribable misery."
But things have changed since the Awami League government came to power in 2009: roads, bridges, and culverts have been built, villages have electricity connections, and educational and religious institutions. "Our income has increased. Our socio-economic conditions have changed," he added.
Future prospects
While the city has seen modernization with the advent of development projects, there has been a massive transformation in renovating old buildings and constructing new residential and commercial buildings.
To provide all civic amenities to the residents, the government is now considering the extension of the gas distribution pipeline to Gopalganj as the people in the district now have to rely on cylinder gas, Deputy Commissioner Kazi Mahbubul Alam told Dhaka Tribune.
The government is also working to establish a special economic zone in the district to boost economic growth and create employment, he added.
When the under-construction Khulna-Mongla and Dhaka-Bhanga rail routes are completed, Gopalganj will be connected to Khulna, Jessore, and Dhaka, easing travel time and cost for commuters.
A decade ago, the government launched the new 36-km rail tracks from Gopalganj Sadar to Kashiani at a cost of Tk14,000 crore. Using this route, passengers can now travel from Gopalganj to Rajshahi via Kashiani.
After the completion of the Padma Bridge rail link project, passengers from Gopalganj will be able to go to Dhaka with no difficulty.
