Irregularities alleged in construction of Bachamara Bazar-Amtoli road

Allegations have arisen about irregularities in construction of a 2.5-kilometre road stretching from Bachamara Bazar to Amtoli in Daulatpur upazila of Manikganj district.

Locals alleged that substandard materials, including fragile concrete blocks and low-quality brick chips, as well as topsoil illegally extracted from the nearby croplands were used in constructing the road.

The road construction project, which is being implemented under the `Cyclone Amphan and Flood Damage Rural Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project' (CAFDRIRP), began on December 10 last year and is scheduled to be completed by July 25, 2025.

According to the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED), the project work involving Tk 6,60,16,129 was awarded to ICL Private Limited, a contractor based in Jashore.

As per the agreement, the project work was scheduled to be completed by July this year but only 25 per cent of the work has been completed so far, raising question about timely implementation of the project.

Site visits revealed that the contractor had been violating project guidelines since the start of the work.

Although Tk80,000,00 was allocated for soil procurement, earth was reportedly taken from adjacent croplands without compensation.

Farmers alleged that their agricultural activities were disrupted due to the unauthorised extraction of soil from their croplands.

"The workers lifted soil from four decimals of my potato field despite objection. They promised compensation, but I haven't received a single taka,' said Shikim Mridha, a farmer from Bachamara village.

Local residents also expressed concern over the durability of the road, given the fragile quality of the blocks used to construct the road's slope.

"The blocks break apart with slight pressure. It's clear they are substandard," said Ali Jinnah, a local high school teacher.

A class IX student, Rakib Hasan, said, "Over one kilometre of the road is now covered in loose sand. I used to go to school by auto rickshaw, but that's no longer possible. We are suffering a lot."

A grocer at Amtoli Bazar, Rahman Ali, said, "It has become difficult to transport goods to and from the market. We have to carry goods on foot or pay extra transportation costs."

A housewife from Charkatari village, Shefaly Begum said, "We can't even walk on this road now. Taking patients to the hospital has become a nightmare."

Executive Engineer of LGED, Manikganj, ABM Khorshed Alam, said, "We have received complaints regarding this project and are currently working. No bill has been released to the contractor yet. LGED maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding construction quality. The Upazila Engineer, Iraz Uddin Dewan, has already been transferred for alleged negligence in supervision."

Upon completion of construction of this road, more than one lakh residents of Bachamara, Charkatari, Baghutia, and Jionpur unions in the upazila are expected to benefit.

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