A bridge in Hatibandha upazila of Lalmonirhat developed significant cracks within just one hour of being opened to traffic on Saturday afternoon. The structure is part of a Tk13 crore project involving road renovation and the construction of four small bridges, which has now come under intense scrutiny over allegations of gross irregularities.
According to sources at Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the project entails the complete renovation of a 9.3-kilometre road stretching from Daikhawa College to Burirbazar in Vhelaguri Union, alongside the construction of four bridges.
Residents have alleged that the contractor, Golam Mawla from Patgram, has ignored regulations and displayed extreme negligence since the project’s inception. Although the deadline was extended several times, the work remains incomplete.
Residents further claimed that the contractor, allegedly with the direct connivance of Hatibandha Upazila Engineer Akhtar Hossain and other dishonest officials, used extremely low-quality bricks.
It was also alleged that soil was used instead of sand for both concrete casting and road renovation. Despite repeated objections from the public regarding the use of substandard materials, LGED authorities reportedly remained silent, effectively facilitating corruption.
Abdul Majid, a local resident, made explosive allegations, stating that multiple complaints were lodged with the LGED office to no avail. He claimed that when locals attempted to protest the irregularities, the contractor and his associates threatened them with “extortion cases”.
The bridge near Vhelaguri Boarderhat was opened on Saturday afternoon, only for large cracks to appear in two sections within sixty minutes. By Sunday morning, additional cracks became visible in other parts of the bridge, leading to fears of a major accident among the aggrieved community.
Pedestrians Shafiqul Islam and Rabiul Islam expressed their fury, noting that after years of suffering due to construction delays, the bridge has turned out to be “shattered” even before a formal inauguration. They described the project as a “robbery of public money”.
When contacted, the mobile phone of the contractor, Golam Mawla, was found to be switched off. Meanwhile, Engineer Akhtar Hossain denied the allegations of collusion, though he remarked, “mistakes can happen during work”. He stated that he would conduct a field inspection and take necessary steps.
Md Kawsar Alam, executive engineer of Lalmonirhat LGED, asserted that there is no scope for delivering low-quality work. He added that the matter is being investigated, and legal action will be initiated if evidence of irregularities is found.
