A bus terminal built in BoalmarI Municipality of Faridpur at a cost of nearly Tk6 crore remains largely unused six years after its inauguration, with a lack of regular long-distance services leaving the facility in a neglected state.
The terminal, built to ease traffic congestion in the municipal town and provide a dedicated point for inter-district bus services, now lies almost abandoned, with sand and construction materials scattered across the premises, potholes and waterlogging affecting movement.
The terminal was inaugurated on 8 February 2020 on 1.33 acres of land near Kazi Sirajul Islam Women’s College. The project cost Tk5.75 crore, including Tk3.54 crore for land acquisition and Tk2.20 crore for infrastructure development.
Implemented jointly by the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) and BoalmarI Municipality, the terminal has seven counters allocated for different long-distance bus operators.
Local sources said buses of operators including Golden Line, BRTC, Suryamukhi, Bikash, Saad, Jaker and Saudia used the terminal after its opening. However, most operators gradually stopped services, leaving only Golden Line operating regularly.
A recent visit found piles of sand and construction materials lying at different points of the terminal, while potholes, stagnant water and overgrown grass have damaged the premises. Drug-use items were also found around the main building, according to locals.
Residents said passengers avoid the terminal because of its distance from the town, while transport owners and workers’ associations prefer their own counters. As a result, passengers continue using temporary counters near Cholna Madrasa instead of the designated terminal.
Kabir Hossain, manager of Golden Line’s BoalmarI counter, said the company had informed its owners about shifting to the terminal but they had decided against it. He said the operator was still paying regular rent and municipal taxes despite not using the facility.
“The terminal is far from the town, and passengers do not want to go there. Opening a counter there would result in losses,” he said.
Cultural activist Ami Charu, a resident of BoalmarI Municipality, said the terminal had remained in a dilapidated condition for years.
“Activating the terminal would increase municipal revenue and reduce traffic congestion. Immediate steps are needed to make it operational,” she said.
BoalmarI Municipality administrator and Upazila Nirbahi Officer (UNO) SM Rakibul Hasan said bus operators had failed to use the terminal despite repeated requests.
He said a written notice was issued to transport stakeholders on 3 September, warning that necessary steps would be taken to cancel route permits if they continued to avoid the terminal.
