A Tk 5.85-crore road project in Sreemangal upazila of Moulvibazar has stalled at just 20% completion, leaving a key route in poor condition and disrupting tourism, tea production and agriculture.
Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has served a show-cause notice on contractor Kohinoor Enterprise, warning of contract cancellation, forfeiture of its Tk 29.27 lakh security deposit and blacklisting if it fails to explain the delay and submit a work plan.
The 5.86km road runs from Sreemangal GC (Radhanagar) through Bishamoni Bazar to Mohajerabad Bazar and is being rehabilitated under the Rural Road Rehabilitation Project (Phase II).
The estimated cost was Tk6.27 crore, but the contract was awarded for Tk5.85 crore to Barisal-based Kohinoor Enterprise, owned by Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury.
The work order was issued on April 15 this year, with September 1 set as the completion deadline. However, work has remained suspended for weeks, with only 20% completed.
During a site inspection on September 12, LGED Sub-Assistant Engineer (Draftsman) Sanjay Kumar Pandit found no workers or representatives of the contractor at the site. Repeated attempts to contact the firm failed to resume the work, officials said.
In a September 24 notice, the LGED said keeping the work suspended for more than 28 consecutive days without a valid reason violated Clause 88.1(e) of the General Conditions of Contract.
The contractor was asked to submit a written work plan within three working days, outlining how it would complete the remaining work while maintaining quality standards.
The road passes in front of Grand Sultan Tea Resort and Golf and is an important route for Sreemangal's tourism industry. Thousands of tourists and hundreds of vehicles use it daily.
Its poor condition has made travel difficult for residents and tourists, while transporting critically ill patients and pregnant women to hospitals has become particularly difficult.
Tea garden owners are struggling to transport fresh leaves to factories on time. Lemon and pineapple growers in Radhanagar are also facing delays in taking produce to markets, with transport costs reportedly nearly doubling.
Local residents recently met the upazila engineer, demanding immediate completion of the road and alternative arrangements for traffic. They also threatened protests and road blockades if the issue was not addressed.
Sreemangal Upazila Engineer Md Abdur Rakib said the contractor had been asked to explain the delay and submit a work plan. “If the response is not satisfactory, we will recommend forfeiting the security deposit and blacklisting the firm,” he said.
Moulvibazar LGED Executive Engineer Mohammad Farruk Ahmed said the contract would be cancelled and a new contractor appointed through a fresh tender if the firm failed to comply.
Sreemangal Upazila Nirbahi Officer Md Ziaur Rahman said steps were being taken with the relevant agencies to complete the remaining work as soon as possible.
