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Download PDF The highway to the northern Bangladesh was one of the best when it was built with foreign assistance in 1978. Today, it could as well be billed as the worst highway in the country with a 34-kilometer path between Bogra and Sherpur becoming totally unusable.
The highway landed in its present state as no maintenance work had been carried out on it since it was handed to the Roads and Highways Department (RHD) in 1994. The rest of the highway is also badly pitted and may become unusable any time.
A quick survey on 13 kilometers of the road about four months ago found over 13,000 potholes. But no one knows how many craters have developed since then.
Iftekhar Kabir, executive engineer of the RHD, told The Daily Star that unless immediate steps are taken to repair the whole length of the road, the road connection with the north may become difficult. A warning note has been sent to the higher authorities but any decisions are yet to come.
On a visit to the worst affected part of the road last Sunday, at least seven trucks were found with broken wheels and axles. Three of them, one with television sets, had rolled over after hitting the bumpy craters. This 34 kilometers take about one and a half hours to travel. Long queues developed on the road as vehicles travel at snail’s pace.
Iftekhar said tenders were floated thrice for maintenance of the road, but every time the bids were cancelled at the last moment.
In 2004, the World Bank forked out Tk 42 crore for repair and maintenance of this road and tenders were floated. But later, the Bank pulled back its funds and work remained undone. Later, another RHD effort to maintain the road at a cost of Tk 16 crore also did not materialise for fund dearth. In 2005, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) committed Tk 43 crore for its maintenance but that also did not happen for red tapes.
At the fag end of the last BNP-Jamaat government, another initiative to repair the road at a cost of Tk 20 crore failed to take off as the contractors, mostly party henchmen, pressed for additional funds.
The RHD now has taken another initiative to repair the worst affected 18.50 kilometers patch of the road at a cost of Tk 20 crore from October 1, but that may again prove futile unless weight of goods transported through the highway is properly maintained.
September 18th, 2007 at 3:44 am
When Cats & Rats work together, there is no need to Bell the Cat.
You are just pointing out the Road sector,
Grafting drama was everywhere.
What do you expect from the leaders who forget rememering ALLAH & wakeup with the satanic slogan oh mother land give me money, fill my bag.
No one worked except very few, thats why poor
became more poorer , Seeking the mercy from
Grameen Bank & work whole life repaying the compounded interests of the Bankers making them
world wide heros.
September 19th, 2007 at 5:10 am
Bank for the poor peoples! Atleast we have someone
in the country who has the intention of giving loan to poor peoples.Which bank gives loan to poor peoples? Do you know any bank that gives loan to poor peoples with bad credit ???? If you know than ask them to come forward and help them out!!!
Thanks……