Encircled by the vast Kaptai Lake, Belaichari is a remote upazila of the Rangamati hill district which was established in 1976 with a total area of 745.92 square kilometres. But from the beginning, this upazila is connected to Rangamati Sadar only through waterways with very little scope for the advancement of education, healthcare, agriculture, tourism and the overall development of about 32,000 people.
Of the 10 upazilas of the district, the hilly areas of Bilaichhari, Jurachhari and Barkal have no road communication with Sadar upazila due to the creation of the lake in the early 1960s to run a hydropower plant. However, the remoteness has now begun to be a tale of the past after 47 years as the first phase of a road connectivity project worth Tk338.54 crore to link Belaichari with Kaptai Upazila is already underway.
The project work has created much enthusiasm among the locals as their travel time to Rangamati and Chittagong will be saved significantly. The road will also create immense opportunities for the locals and draw more tourists since there are about 5-6 springs in this upazila..
The Rangamati Local Government Engineering Directorate (LGED) is implementing the 40km-road project from Raikhali Karigor Para under Kaptai to Belaichari, which is pronounced as Bilaichhori. It involves the construction of 12 bridges.
Dhaka TribuneThe project got approval from the National Economic Council Executive Committee (Ecnec) on May 4, 2021, and the tender process started in 2022. Since then, contractors have been appointed for some of the packages and the work on 20km of road and four bridges has also started. The work is scheduled to be completed in December 2025.
A recent visit to the project area revealed that the work on the first 10km of a two-lane road from Karigor Para to Belaichari was underway. Around 1,000 workers have been engaged in the work.
Locals say if the road is built, the remote areas will undergo drastic changes.
When contacted, Executive Engineer of Rangamati LGED Ahmed Shafi expressed his optimism that the people of Belaichari will be freed from the hardships they have to undergo on the waterway. Belaichari will be connected by road.
“We have to work in very remote places where the route is like a zigzag and some sections fall on the edges of hills. This is a very challenging task for us. We're identifying possible risks of landslides before constructing the road,” he added.
Roni Tanchangya and Manjita Tanchangya from Bhallukya Para in Kaptai said that even though there are some muddy roads in the areas, they become unusable during the monsoons.
Sushil Tanchangya, an elderly man from Bhallukya Para, told this correspondent that due to the construction of the road, everyone, including farmers and children, will be able to go to Belaichari in an hour, whereas it usually takes three hours.
“During the dry season, when the water in the Kaptai Lake dries up, it is very difficult for us to travel,” said Biplab Bara, a resident of Belaichari.
Dhaka TribuneGeneral Secretary of Raikhali Union Awami League Yusuf Talukdar said if this road is built, farmers will be able to sell agricultural products easily in Raikhali and will benefit financially.
“The water level in Kaptai Lake decreases so much during the dry season that it hampers navigation. While it takes one and a half hours in normal time, now it takes four hours,” said Jhulan Dutta, general secretary of Kaptai Press Club.
He said after the completion of the project, the common people of Belaichari will be able to reach Kaptai and Chittagong in a very short time.
Sunil Kanti Dewan, chairman of Bilaichari 1 Union Parishad, told Dhaka Tribune that the LGED road is very good news for Belaichari residents. As a result, this road will play an important role in the education, treatment and transportation of the common people of the upazila.
Farua UP Chairman Vidyalal Tanchangya also said the local people will be greatly benefited if the road is constructed.
Altaf Hossain, Belaichari Upazila LGED engineer, told Dhaka Tribune that 8km of the road and four bridges fall under his upazila. The width of the road is 12 feet. He hopes that as a result of the construction of the road, the transportation of people in remote areas will become easier.
Upazila Engineer of Kaptai LGED Monirul Islam Chowdhury said that the authorities had undertaken the project in line with the prime minister's goal of ensuring the development of the hilly areas. Under this project, 32km of road and eight bridges will be constructed in the Kaptai section.
“Construction work on 20km of road and four bridges has already started after the appointment of contractors,” he added.
Officials and locals say once the road is opened, the tourism sector will expand greatly. Throughout the year, during monsoon and in winter, many tourists from different parts of the country flock to Belaichari to see the unique natural scenery and the springs.
