A road construction project in Kurigram District, under the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), has been marred by delays, substandard work and sky-high Tk1.5 crore per kilometer road construction cost.
The project, which involves filling earth, constructing guide walls, and planting grass along a 9.8-kilometer stretch of road, has a total estimated cost of Tk15.46 crore. The cost per kilometer is estimated to be around Tk1.5 crore.
Despite the deadline for completion have passed, only about 60 per cent of the work has been finished. Interesting fact is the generous Upazila LGED engineer instead of raising concern or official complain has made a payment of approximately 55 per cent of the contract value, ignoring the complaints of irregularities.
The contractor, a joint venture named RAB-RC-BC-HT JV, has been accused of several issues, including failing to replace old guide walls with a new one, improper filling of soil, and inadequate road widening.
Locals have raised concerns that if the LGED engineers had supervised the work more effectively, these issues could have been avoided, and the project could have been completed on time.
Additionally, the use of substandard materials, such as low-quality gravel and bricks, has also been reported.
According to LGED sources, the project began on January 1, 2024, with an expected completion date of June 30, 2024.
The scope of the work includes 11,615 meters of box cutting (roadside excavation) and 1,607 meters of guide walls. The original specifications called for high-quality bricks and gravel, as well as proper construction of the guide walls in two phases.
However, residents allege that the contractor has used substandard gravel, which has led to an increase in dust pollution and deterioration of the environment.
Locals also reported that some guide walls were removed, but not rebuilt as promised. Ashraful Islam, a resident of Subarkuti, expressed his frustration, saying, “They removed the old guide walls, claiming new ones would be constructed, but now they say they won’t be built. When will they complete the work?”
Similarly, Saidur Rahman, who lives near the construction site, expressed concerns about the potential collapse of the road due to substandard construction materials and incomplete work.
The contractor, however, denied any wrongdoing. Hamid, the owner of Hamid Traders (HT), part of the joint venture, said , “We are carrying out the work properly, and there are no lapses in our efforts.”
He also expressed apprehension that any negative media coverage would harm their business.
The LGED has acknowledged the issues and said that the project is under supervision. When asked by our correspondent about irregularities in this project, Kurigram Sadar Upazila LGED engineer Firojur Rahman said, “We have made payments only after the work was completed. We have ensured that the contractor follows the guidelines. If the guide walls are not built as required, the contractor will be instructed to complete them before receiving final payment. From LGED end we have paid for 55 per cent of the complete work against 60 per cent of the finished work.”
LGED executive engineer of Kurigram Mohammad Yunus Hossain Biswas told TIMES of Bangladesh that the contractor would be held accountable for the remaining tasks. “Wherever the guide walls have been removed, they must be reconstructed by the contractor. There is no room for payment without completion of the required work,” he said.
As the people in local community continues to suffer from the delay and accompanying environmental degradation, the focus remains on whether the LGED will enforce stricter oversight to ensure that the project is completed on time and in tune with the specification.
