It has been more than one year since a construction company was entrusted with the renovation works of Jirabo-Bishmail and C&D-Ashulia roads, but half of the repair works are yet to be completed.
The construction company named Mir Akter Hossain has already withdrawn Tk11.6 crore from Savar upazila LEGD department, showing completion of 35% of the renovation works completed.
The construction company was given the work order involving Tk36.31 crore on July 23, 2013 and was asked to finish the renovation within one year.
Later, the company took five months more from the authority concerned to finsh the work.
According to the new time-frame, the construction company has to finish the work within December 23. People who are involved in the re-building of the road said merely 10% of the repair work has been done.
During a visit to the two roads, this correspondent found that the construction company could not even install pipe for the drainage system.
The company was able to finish installing pipes for drainage system for four kilometres in the last 13 months while two kilometres of C&D-Ashulia road is done.
The Jirabo-Bishmail road that stretches six kilometres and C&D-Ashulia road that stretches six kilometres were built a few years ago as link roads of the Dhaka-Aricha and the Dhaka-Abdullahpur Highway.
Local people said the road had virtually turned into a death trap as the company dug up holes instead of repairing the road.
They said they had been suffering because of the dilapidated road for the last seven years and now the repair works multiplied their miseries.
As people of the locality had been suffering because of the sorry state of the road for seven years, the local LGED department invited a tender bid last year and Mir Akter Hossain construction company was given the contract.
Children going to schools and colleges, garment workers, labourers who work at neibouring factories, suufers most for the the roads.
Many factory owners said they were incurring a huge losses as they could not transport their goods properly.
Roman Mia, a trader from Kalma area of Savar, said: “The construction company could not even finish working on the drains. When will they finish the entire work?”
Abdul Gafur, Sohrab Mia, Razzob Ali, some other businessmen, echoed the similar doubts.
As the LGED department is not properly monitoring the work, the construction company is taking advantage of the situation.
Hundreds of vehicles ply the road every day and many of those meet with accidents for the rundown state of the road.
Local people said some portions of the roads have become unfit even for walking.
Managing Director of Footwear Ltd Md Nazmul Hossain said they could not deliver products on time as goods-laden vehicles often got stuck on potholes.
Abdul Haidar, a student of Class X at Jirabo Government High School, said before the starting of the renovation works, they could go to school on foot, but now it was impossible to walk on the road.
Students of the school urged the authority concerned to take measures so that the construction company could finish the renovation works immediately.
Project Manager of Mir Akter Hossain Company Saifur Rahman could not be reached over phone despite several attempts.
Sources at the construction company told the Dhaka Tribune that they could not finish the work within stipulated time because of last year’s political unrest.
Azharul Islam, an official of the LGED department, also expressed his doubt whether the company could complete the work within the allotted time period or not.
However, Nirbahi Officer of Savar sadar upazila Khandakar Asaduzzan expressed his hope that the company would finish the work by December.
