A six-kilometre stretch of road connecting Mathbaria and Mirukhali in Pirojpur has become a major source of suffering for more than 1,00,000 people across four upazilas, as deep potholes and broken surfaces have made travel increasingly difficult.
A contractor has failed to complete the repair work, originally scheduled to take one year, even after nearly three years.
The deteriorating road is causing severe hardship for thousands of people travelling between Mathbaria and Bhandaria in Pirojpur, as well as two upazilas in the neighbouring districts of Jhalokathi and Barguna.
The road is riddled with potholes of various sizes. Some sections are submerged in knee-deep water, while others have turned into muddy stretches. Even light rainfall causes water to accumulate in the potholes, turning them into small ponds.
Despite the hazardous conditions, vehicles continue to use the road, putting passengers and drivers at risk. Vehicles frequently get stuck in potholes, while pedestrians are often forced to get out of their vehicles and wade through muddy water to continue their journeys.
In June 2023, a construction contract for the six-kilometre Mathbaria-Mirukhali road was awarded to a contractor named Ifti ETCL.
The project was divided into two packages, with a combined cost of Tk12.39 crore. The first package was worth Tk5.54 crore and the second Tk6.85 crore.
However, despite the expiry of the stipulated deadline, the contractor has failed to complete the work and has reportedly gone into hiding.
Instead, the work was abandoned, leaving the road riddled with potholes that fill with water during the monsoon, creating severe hardship for local residents.
Hundreds of students from different schools and colleges, patients and thousands of other people, along with hundreds of vehicles, use the road every day.
Its deplorable condition has forced passengers to pay higher fares, while accidents have become frequent because of the damaged surface.
Sirajul Sheikh, an auto-rickshaw driver who uses the road daily, said the work had been awarded during the previous government to Mirajul Islam, a former chairman of Bhandaria upazila parishad and general secretary of the upazila Awami League. He is the brother of former Pirojpur-2 MP Mohiuddin Maharaj.
He alleged that Mirajul carried out only nominal work before withdrawing the money allocated for the project.
“We have been suffering immensely because the roadwork was left unfinished for a long time. As the road has remained in this condition year after year, potholes of various sizes have developed at different points. During the rainy season, knee-deep water accumulates in some sections, frequently causing accidents.
“People are compelled to use the road despite the risks to their lives. Driving has become extremely difficult for us, while passengers are also facing tremendous hardship,” Sirajul said.
Pirojpur Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Executive Engineer Azizur Rahman said the authorities were trying to contact the officials of Ifti ETCL after the contractor abandoned the work.
He said they were waiting for instructions from higher authorities to resume work on roads where construction had stalled for various reasons.
“Further action will be taken in line with the instructions of the higher authorities,” he said, assuring that work on the abandoned roads would resume as soon as possible to ease public suffering.
The contract for the Mathbaria-Mirukhali road was awarded to Ifti ETCL in June 2023 at a cost of Tk12.39 crore, with the work scheduled for completion by April 2024.
However, the contractor’s officials have reportedly remained absconding since 5 August, leaving the project unfinished.
