Sylhet Correspondent :
The 37-kilometre long Sylhet-Companyganj-Bholaganj road is in dire condition due to lack of maintenance and heavy usage. The unpaved road dotted with large potholes has turned into a nightmare for thousands of passengers commuting every day. During the dry season, the road is covered in dust while the monsoon literally turns it into a mud bed.
The stretch from Khagail to Bholaganj lies in the worst situation. It causes vehicles to go slow taking hours to travel this small distance. Moreover, vehicles often fall into the ditch resulting in severe accidents. The road which could take only 30-40 minutes to Sylhet in a better condition, now takes 2-3 hours.
This dilapidated state has been prevailing for the last eight years and despite repeated assurances from local politicans, the road is yet to see any renovation.
Locals said the frequent plying of stone-laden trucks created large potholes in the road and made commuting in the area very difficult and time consuming, with frequent occurrences of road accidents.
Syed Ali, a local businessman, said not only the passengers, but the establishments on two sides of the road were also facing sufferings. The road houses a number of schools, officers and bazaars.
The road, which was built by former speaker Humayun Rashid Chowdhury was later developed into a regional highway by former finance minister M Saifur Rahman. But since then there has been no renovation work.
During the army-backed government of 2007, the exclusion of Companyganj from Sylhet-1 constituency also made the road suffer no renovation. When the Awami League came into power in 2008, the then MP Imran Ahmed assured to repair the road. However, there has been no visible efforts in this regard.
Before the 10th parliamentary election in 2014, a small section was mended just for gaining political edge. But since then the condition of the road has continuously deteriorated.
Locals alleged that the government earned a good revenue from the Bholganj stone quarry every month, but it was nonchalant about repairing the road.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader visited the area on May 17 last year and also assured his assistance. He said a Tk600 crore project would be taken to upgrade the road to a national highway.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Companyganj Rokon Uddin said a revised proposal was recently sent to the planning ministry. The proposal worth about Tk450 crore is expected to be approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon.
The 37-kilometre long Sylhet-Companyganj-Bholaganj road is in dire condition due to lack of maintenance and heavy usage. The unpaved road dotted with large potholes has turned into a nightmare for thousands of passengers commuting every day. During the dry season, the road is covered in dust while the monsoon literally turns it into a mud bed.
The stretch from Khagail to Bholaganj lies in the worst situation. It causes vehicles to go slow taking hours to travel this small distance. Moreover, vehicles often fall into the ditch resulting in severe accidents. The road which could take only 30-40 minutes to Sylhet in a better condition, now takes 2-3 hours.
This dilapidated state has been prevailing for the last eight years and despite repeated assurances from local politicans, the road is yet to see any renovation.
Locals said the frequent plying of stone-laden trucks created large potholes in the road and made commuting in the area very difficult and time consuming, with frequent occurrences of road accidents.
Syed Ali, a local businessman, said not only the passengers, but the establishments on two sides of the road were also facing sufferings. The road houses a number of schools, officers and bazaars.
The road, which was built by former speaker Humayun Rashid Chowdhury was later developed into a regional highway by former finance minister M Saifur Rahman. But since then there has been no renovation work.
During the army-backed government of 2007, the exclusion of Companyganj from Sylhet-1 constituency also made the road suffer no renovation. When the Awami League came into power in 2008, the then MP Imran Ahmed assured to repair the road. However, there has been no visible efforts in this regard.
Before the 10th parliamentary election in 2014, a small section was mended just for gaining political edge. But since then the condition of the road has continuously deteriorated.
Locals alleged that the government earned a good revenue from the Bholganj stone quarry every month, but it was nonchalant about repairing the road.
Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader visited the area on May 17 last year and also assured his assistance. He said a Tk600 crore project would be taken to upgrade the road to a national highway.
Upazila Nirbahi Officer of Companyganj Rokon Uddin said a revised proposal was recently sent to the planning ministry. The proposal worth about Tk450 crore is expected to be approved by the Executive Committee of National Economic Council (ECNEC) soon.
