Most roads in Pabna municipality have become nearly unusable due to lack of maintenance, leading to frequent accidents and immense public suffering. Even light rainfall causes waterlogging, compounding the difficulties for commuters. Despite repeated demands for urgent repairs, the authorities have yet to take effective action.
During a visit to several roads in Pabna town on Thursday afternoon, it was found that the main entryway—from Mujahid Club to the town centre—is riddled with potholes and broken drainage systems. The road becomes submerged even after a short spell of rain.
Another critical road—from the general hospital to the bypass—is also severely damaged and filled with potholes, making movement extremely difficult.
The same situation prevails on Ataikula Road, Barabazar Road, and Shalgaria Graveyard Road, where loose gravel and eroded bitumen have created numerous craters. Vehicles are forced to move cautiously, and minor to major accidents have become a daily occurrence. Locals say the situation has persisted for years without any meaningful repair.
Saiful Islam, a shopkeeper at Shapla Plastic Mor, said, “Hospital Road and Ataikula Road are in the worst condition. If these roads aren’t rebuilt soon, ordinary people will continue to suffer. No development work has been done on these roads in recent years.”
Pedestrian Arif Ahmed added, “It’s extremely difficult for patients to travel, especially those in labour. In some cases, deliveries have happened right on the street. We demand immediate repairs to these roads.”
When contacted, Pabna municipality’s Assistant Engineer Obaidul Haque said the municipal fund is facing a financial crisis. However, he mentioned that tenders for repairing several key roads are under consideration.
According to municipal records, Pabna town has 240 kilometres of paved roads, nearly half of which are currently in poor condition. There are also 119 kilometres of drainage lines, most of which are reported to be ineffective.
Locals have called for urgent renovations of the roads and improvements to the drainage system to alleviate their daily hardships.
