A section of the Rajabari–Damdama road along the right bank of the Suti River in Sreepur upazila has collapsed just seven months after the project was handed over, prompting concerns over construction quality and supervision.
The collapse has created panic among more than 100 families living along the riverbank, while raising fears of further erosion that could disrupt road communication.
Following the incident, the contractor began repair work on Sunday.
Sreepur Upazila Engineer Touhid Ahmed of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) said protective concrete blocks installed along the riverbank had been washed away.
"The damaged section will be excavated, compacted properly, rebuilt with concrete blocks and resurfaced," he said, adding that the contractor had been instructed to complete the repairs.
According to the LGED office, the 5.5-kilometre Rajabari–Damdama paved road in Prahladpur Union was constructed by M/s Salam Traders at a cost of around Tk9 crore under a contract awarded in 2021.
Although the project was scheduled for completion in 2024, officials said the work was completed around December 2025.
A visit to the site found that the riverbank protection blocks near Chinashukania village had broken apart and fallen into the river. Cracks have appeared along the road, while some displaced blocks have been pushed onto the carriageway, making travel hazardous.
Local residents alleged that poor supervision, inadequate compaction of the riverbank and the use of substandard materials caused the collapse.
They claimed nearly one kilometre of the road remains vulnerable and warned that further erosion could wash away the road, severing communication in the area.
Rafiq Mia, a resident of Damdama village, said the embankment collapsed only months after completion.
"If repairs are not carried out quickly, houses along the road could gradually be lost to the river," he said.
Another resident, Rakib Mia, alleged that the riverbank had been filled with sand without proper compaction before the protective blocks were installed.
He claimed local residents had raised objections during construction, but the concerns were ignored.
Abdus Salam, proprietor of M/s Salam Traders, acknowledged the damage and said the contractor would carry out the repairs.
"Some sections have collapsed. We are responsible for repairing them during the defect liability period," he said.
Upazila Engineer Touhid Ahmed said LGED officials inspected the site after receiving reports of the collapse and directed the contractor to rebuild the damaged section at its own expense.
He said 10% of the contractor's security deposit remains withheld under the contract, ensuring that repair work can be carried out without additional government expenditure.
Ahmed also rejected allegations of inadequate supervision, saying the project had been monitored properly.
