Several portions of the Dhaka-Barisal highway have become risky for vehicles as many potholes and ditches on the thoroughfare have become hard to detect in the monsoon.
While talking to drivers who commute daily through the highway, it was learnt that the repair works at the Vurghata-Madaripur portion of the highway had been going on speedily, but the Barisal-Vurghata portion had been completely ignored.
“Vehicles have no other choice but to use the highway to transport commuters in the area, risking lives and causing damages to vehicles daily,” said Dipak Das, one of the leaders of Barisal bus owners association.
“Several deep potholes had formed on the 13-kilometers road from Barisal to Rahamatpur and on 27-kilometers on Joyoshri-Vurghata parts,” said a truck driver while travelling through this route.
“Except for the eight-kilometer road at the Bir Shrestha Mustafa Kamal Bridge at Doarika and Major MA Jalil Bridge at Shikarpur, all other portions in this route are in a depleted condition, making it risky for both vehicles and passengers,” said Aftab Hossain, another leader of the road transport owners.
However, Khalid Shahed, executive engineer for road and highways at Barisal office, claimed the repair works of the portion under Barisal road division had already begun where initially the potholes will be repaired.
He also said after completing the filling and repairing of holes and pitches, bitumen carpeting would be done later as rain may affect the work.
