People suffer acute due to traffic congestion in the four-lane part of the Sylhet-Sunamganj highway especially amid rain as electric poles in the midst are not being removed by the PDB -FE Photo SYLHET, June 18: Development work on the Sunamganj-Sylhet highway has been facing a prolonged delay due to a tug-of-war between the Roads and Highways Department (RHD), the Forest Department and Power Development Board (PDB) over removing electric poles and tree trucks from roadside, causing extreme sufferings for the public.
The 69 km stretch of the highway which was supposed to take one and a half hours now takes more than two hours to travel from Sylhet to Sunamganj.
Especially, movement on the four-kilometre 'four-lane' in Sunamganj municipality is like a hellish torture, marked with big potholes in different places, waterlogging, severe traffic congestion.
Drivers, passengers and locals face trouble while crossing the potholed parts of the road, often meeting accidents.
Motorists and pedestrians extremely suffer at most places, including Wejkhali Bazar in Sunamganj town, the road portion in front of Cynthia Petrol Pump in Mallikpur area and the old bus station area. Small and big accidents often take place due to mud and potholes.
The work on the Shantiganj upazila section of the road is also very slow.
The road development project involving Tk1.50 billion has been going on at a snail's pace since the beginning.
Lives of the commuters are being seriously hampered for the delay in development work on the highway due to the tug-of-war between the RHD, Power Department Board and Forest Department.
RHD officials said that the work is being delayed due to the failure in removing the electric poles and large tree trunks from the roadside while the Forest Department said that it will instruct the contractor to remove the tree trunks quickly.
Power Department Board is delaying the whole thing and showing various excuses regarding removal of the poles. In such a situation, questions have also been raised about whether the work will be completed on time.
The work on the four-kilometre four-lane of the Sunamganj-Sylhet highway under the Roads and Highways Department began in late 2025. It is supposed to be completed by June 2027. But the work is going on at a snail's pace and it is feared that it will not be completed in time.
Golam Azam, an official of the contractor company, said, "Despite having sufficient equipment and workers, they are unable to work - due to the failure of the forest department to remove the electricity poles and tree trunks."
However, acknowledging the public sufferings, he said that they will fill the big holes in the road and make it suitable for movement. Anisur Rahman, deputy ranger of the forest department, said that he will instruct the contractor to remove the tree trunks on the road quickly.
Executive Engineer of the Power Department Board Russel Ahmed admitting slow progress of the work said temporary problems have arisen due to the Eid holiday and rain. He will take action quickly.
Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, Dr. Mohammad Ahad Ullah, said, "It is right that people are suffering because of the one-way road and for absence of an alternative road. However, we will expedite the work soon."
There are various reasons for the long delay in development work on the highway. As unauthorised markets are there along the road, crowds remain always at those places.
In many places of the road, asphalt has come out causing a dangerous situation.
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