Mega projects construction work halt in Kushtia

Drain construction work of the Forlane connected project has come to a halt in Kushtia due to the occupation of highway land and the bias of the road department. The dug holes for the drains have become extremely risky, with the normal movement of local residents being disrupted. According to the locals, the road department has re-entered the houses and crop lands to fill the additional land for the construction of the drain of the forlane project under construction, leaving its own place on the highway to the influential occupiers. 

The locals are furious at the protest. Some have resorted to the law rather than remedy. Acknowledging the complexity of the complication, the Roads Department said that the remaining 4,-lane project including upgrading of the Jhenaidah-Kushtia-Pakshi-Dashuria National Highway (N-604) to Kushtia town at an estimated cost of Tk 564.17 crore with full government funding Soon all the problems will be solved and the construction work will be completed within the stipulated time.

Local councilor Ejazul Hakim said, the road is already being used for all long-distance vehicles after the construction of the city bypass road, despite the question of quality. Work is now underway to widen and upgrade the four-lane road with 4 km drain from Zero Points at Majampur Gate to Kushtia-Jhenaidah road. 

The work was going well. But in doing so, the construction work is stuck in the complexity created by the bias of the road department. As a result, it has become a common occurrence for someone to fall into a drain hole and get injured. Let the work be done quickly and the people's suffering be resolved. It cannot be that the government's huge development project will get stuck due to some unscrupulous vested interests.

Abdul Khaleq, a local garage owner, complained that the development work was supposed to take place using equal land on both sides from the middle of the existing road. The road department also has its own land here but the space has been reduced due to the occupation of influential people. Now the road department is damaging the land and infrastructure of the locals. Many people like us will lose their jobs and face extreme danger.

Mostafa Monwar, a resident of Sadar Upazila's Chowdhury, alleged that the road department had created this complication by trying to give benefits to someone special. There is also ample space for road expansion. There was no need to acquire new land. However, the road department has left the land in the possession of others and planted a red flag to dig holes for drains in our land. I also want to address it with the help of law.

Sumaiya Yasmin, a local college student, demanded an end to the existing suffering and said, "I am seeking the intervention of the district administration and other concerned quarters so that the road department can complete the construction of the closed drain as soon as possible."

Pius Kumar Sen, Sub-Divisional Engineer, Kushtia Roads and Highways Department, said, that the 4 km double lane road from Kushtia Mazampur Gate Zero Point to Battail has been upgraded to four lanes, with a division in the middle of the road and a height of 1.63 meters on both sides. Construction work is ongoing. According to the construction contract, Tk 141 crore has been spent to complete this work. The work was going on but due to sudden legal complications due to lawsuits, the construction work is now stopped.

Md. Shakirul Islam, Executive Engineer, Kushtia Roads and Highways Department, said, “Due to legal complications, the work of drain under construction on both sides of Kushtia-Jhenaidah highway from Majampur Gate Zero Point has been stopped. In order to complete the work expeditiously, the Roads Department is in touch with the concerned senior quarters including the district administration. We hope to be able to complete the construction work by December 2022, ” he said.

All development projects of the government should be implemented from an unbiased point of view. Their demand is not that the influential people should be the beneficiaries of quality and impartial development but not the special benefits of the influential people.