Residents of Rajabari union in Gazipur’s Sreepur have alleged that substandard brick chips are being used in the construction of a 1.5km road, raising concerns about its durability ahead of the rainy season.
The Bindubari-Singratali road is being constructed at a cost of Tk1.27 crore under the Gazipur District Rural Infrastructure Development Project, implemented by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).
Locals claim the contractor began laying brick chips and sand over the existing earthen road without properly removing the old soil and preparing the roadbed as required.
They fear the road could deteriorate quickly during heavy rainfall if the construction is not carried out according to specifications.
Several residents have also raised the issue on social media, alleging inadequate supervision by the LGED.
A local resident, speaking on condition of anonymity, said it was difficult for ordinary people to identify technical irregularities in road construction.
“Some locals noticed the problem when low-quality brick chips were being used. We informed the authorities several times, but no effective action was taken,” he said.
Local resident Zakir Hasan alleged that he had repeatedly informed the upazila engineer about the use of poor-quality materials.
“Very low-quality brick chips are being used. I called the upazila engineer several times, but he only said he would look into it. He did not visit the site,” he said.
Another resident, Saidul Islam, said the road could quickly return to its previous condition if proper materials were not used.
“A road costing more than Tk1 crore should not be constructed with poor-quality materials. If the work is not done properly, the road could be damaged again during the next rainy season,” he said.
Abul Kalam Azad, an engineer representing contractor Amzad Traders, denied the allegations.
“There has been no irregularity or substandard work. The materials being used are crushed brick aggregates, and the test results are satisfactory,” he said.
Sreepur Upazila Engineer Touhidur Rahman said the allegations would be investigated after an inspection of the site.
“We will visit the site and investigate the matter. Some salvaged materials recovered from the old road may have been placed on top, which could have created confusion among local residents,” he said.
On Monday afternoon, several local journalists visited the Sreepur Upazila Engineering Office seeking information about the project.
Sub-Assistant Engineer Romel Barua said the project file could not be found at the office at the time, preventing officials from providing details about when construction began and when it was scheduled to be completed.
Officials, however, said they had contacted Amzad Traders and instructed the contractor to suspend the work.
The foundation stone of the road project was laid on July 26 by local lawmaker Professor Dr SM Rafiqul Islam Bacchu.
Meanwhile, Sreepur Upazila Nirbahi Officer Nahid Bhuiyan said he had inspected the road and found no irregularities.
“I inspected the road and did not find any deviation,” he said.
Residents have called for an impartial investigation and urged the authorities to ensure the use of quality materials to guarantee the road’s long-term durability.
