After a gap of 12 years, repair work has finally begun on the Paranpur–Bolshid–Badiya rural paved road in Shahrasti Upazila of Chandpur, but the project has already come under allegations of irregularities, including the use of substandard materials, narrowing of the road, and reported intimidation of local residents who raised objections.
During a recent visit to the site, local residents and vehicle drivers said the long-neglected road, located near Shahrasti Railway Station, had become increasingly dilapidated since its last renovation in 2014, with potholes making it nearly unfit for movement.
The Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) has now taken up reconstruction of a one-kilometre stretch of the road running east–west from the station area.
Locals alleged that the original 10-foot-wide road is now being reconstructed at around 8.5 feet in width. They also claimed that old and substandard bricks were being used in parts of the work, while oversized stones had been brought in for carpeting.
One resident, Al-Amin Hossain, alleged that when objections were raised, the upazila engineer warned that the work would be stopped entirely.
He further claimed that when residents approached the upazila engineer along with local representatives, they were dismissed with references to official procedures.
An electric rickshaw driver, Jubayer, said the narrowing of the road would worsen traffic flow. “Two vehicles will not be able to pass at the same time. It will increase congestion and risk of accidents,” he said.
Sub-assistant engineer Rafiq Ul Islam, who is supervising the project, said the original road width was 2.66 metres and it is now being upgraded to 18 feet. He said the work is being carried out under a Tk7.4 million project, with contractor Omar Faruk responsible for implementation.
Contractor Omar Faruk denied the allegations, saying he was executing the work strictly according to the approved schedule.
Upazila Engineer Moinul Islam said initial objections from locals had previously led to a 25-day suspension of work. He said the project is scheduled for completion by 25 June and rejected claims of wrongdoing, adding that the road width issue was being misinterpreted as the upper surface had previously expanded due to prolonged disrepair.
He also expressed anger over the allegations when shown video recordings of residents’ complaints, and instructed identification of those making the accusations through the contractor.
The allegations could not be independently verified.
