Tk3.76cr Faridpur road project drags on for four years

Construction of a five-kilometre Herringbone Bond (HBB) road in Sadarpur upazila of Faridpur has remained incomplete for four and a half years, despite the contractor having received Tk1.82 crore in bills.

The 4,712-metre road is being constructed in Diyara Narikelbaria union under the Disaster Management Department with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The project began on 26 April 2022, at an estimated cost of Tk3.76 crore.

According to the Upazila Project Implementation Office, the contractor, MS Mollah Construction, has completed around 1,700 metres of the road and received Tk1.82 crore in payment. The remaining work has remained stalled for a long time.

The road is planned from Nandalalpur Ghat to Kala Mia Sikder’s shop in Kandi area of Wahed Mollah. The union, surrounded by the Padma River, has long suffered from poor communication infrastructure, with several areas becoming inundated during the monsoon.

Local residents said the incomplete road causes severe hardship, particularly during the rainy season, when waterlogging disrupts movement and the transportation of goods. “We were hopeful that the road would solve our long-standing communication problem. But even after four and a half years, only a small portion has been completed,” said Amin Sheikh, a resident of Bishwanathpur Akon village.

He urged the authorities to take immediate steps to complete the road. Union Parishad Chairman Md Nasir Uddin said the road was crucial for local residents, particularly during the monsoon when communication with many areas becomes disrupted.

“The people are suffering because the work has remained incomplete for so long. The authorities should take the matter seriously and complete the project quickly,” he said.

Attempts to contact Md Kamruzzaman Titu, owner of MS Mollah Construction, over the phone went unanswered as his phone was switched off.

The then Upazila Project Implementation Officer Muhammad Abu Ehsan Mia said the project had begun during his tenure and that details of its progress and the contractor’s work were available in the relevant documents.

Meanwhile, current Upazila Project Implementation Officer Nurunahar Begum said the project was under investigation.

“Necessary measures will be taken after verifying the progress of the work, payments made to the contractor and the relevant documents. The matter of completing the road quickly will also be brought to the attention of the higher authorities,” she said.