A. F. M. Asad Ullah: The repair work of the Shibganj-Begumpur road in Jagannathpur Upazila has remained incomplete for 17 years. Despite multiple attempts to start the repair during the past Awami League government’s tenure, the work has yet to be finished. For the past six months, the repair work has been ongoing at a slow pace, causing immense suffering to the residents of three unions.
According to locals and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) office in Jagannathpur, the 15-kilometer road connecting Jagannathpur Upazila headquarters to Begumpur on the Dhaka-Sylhet Regional Highway has been in disrepair for 17 years. This has caused severe inconvenience for the people of the upazila.
The road is a lifeline for villages in the Pailgaon Union, including Jalalpur, Khanpur, Alipur, Natun Kasba, Gotgaon, Sonatala, Kadamtala, Mosajhan, Katia, Olaitoli, Alagdi, and the Asharkandi Union, encompassing Kalnichar, Atghar, Khalainjura, Milik, Barafechi, Chotafechi, Raniganj, Ghoshgaon, Ichgaon, and Kubazpur. These 50 villages rely entirely on this road for connectivity to the upazila headquarters.
Additionally, the road is a critical route for traveling to Dhaka and other parts of Sylhet via Begumpur. In 2016, nearly BDT 30 million was allocated for the repair of 11 kilometers of the road. However, only minimal work was done before the contractor abandoned the project. The devastating floods of 2022 further damaged the road, rendering it unusable due to cracks, potholes, and large craters. Despite multiple protests, human chains, and transport strikes demanding the repair, no resolution has been achieved. Although repair work restarted six months ago, progress remains slow.
Masum Ahmed, a resident of Kubazpur village, said, “For 17 years, we’ve heard about road repair work, but it’s never been completed. This road has caused us unbearable suffering. Expatriates have even spent money to carry out temporary repairs, as government initiatives remain incomplete. Currently, low-quality work is being done at a slow pace, and no one is overseeing it. Frustrated, the locals have announced a human chain protest on April 15.”
Nazmuddeen, Acting Chairman of the Pailgaon Union Parishad, said, “This road has caused immense hardship for hundreds of thousands of residents from three unions in Jagannathpur. But no one knows when this suffering will end. I am constantly communicating with LGED to ensure the road repair is completed.”
Sohrab Hossain, Upazila Engineer of LGED in Jagannathpur, stated, “We have received a BDT 20 million allocation to repair 2 kilometers of the 15-kilometer Shibganj-Begumpur road. The work was awarded to Sunamganj-based contractor Mohammad Renu Enterprise. Repair work began in January this year and is expected to be completed by June. We are making every effort to complete the repairs.”
