Long delay in the project irks locals

SYLHET, Dec 01: The upgradation of Kumargaon-Badaghat-Airport road into a four-lane one in the district is facing a long delay as the authorities concerned are allegedly dillydallying in land acquisition.

Local people have alleged that they have been suffering much for one decade due to the incompletion of the road's upgradation work. They have also expressed frustration.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the Tk 7.27-billion project in January 2022, but upgradation work formally began on 26 November the same year.

Officials said the 12.78-km road upgradation project was set to be completed by June 2024, but its deadline was reset for June 2025.

Locals said the upgradation work on the muck-talked-about road was going on slowly with no major progress in land acquisition.

They, however, blamed 'lack of coordination' with owners of land beside the road for acquisition.

Dwelling houses, a mosque and other establishments on the roadsides need to be shifted for upgrading the road into a four-lane one.

The road had been in a precarious state since it was constructed in 2012-2013 to connect the city with a vast important suburban area as well as with Osmani International Airport.

Considering the importance, the authorities decided to make it a four-lane one to help plying of hundreds of stone-laden trucks from the country's largest quarry at Bholaganj and tourists' vehicles as well to facilitate the airport-goers from various areas.

The road is connected with Kumargaon on Sylhet-Sunamganj highway and Dhaka-Sylhet national highway nearby.

Accordingly, the revised project was first prepared with four-lane road and 2 service lanes in 2016.

However, the ministry in 2019 accepted the four-lane project only.

A high-level team from the ministry concerned visited the project area on 8 August 2020.

They detected some faults on the 4-lane design, prepared by the Road Transport & Highways Division. They also met locals and leaders.

Accordingly, it was again revised in 2021. On the other hand, floods damaged the important road badly in 2022.

Locals demanded implementation of the long-awaited project.

When contacted, Amir Hossain, executive engineer, R&H in Sylhet, told this correspondent that the much-talked-about project has components like land acquisition, soil treatment, rigid and flexible pavement, bus-bay terminal, inter-section development, construction of PC guarder bridge and RCC culverts etc.

He, however, claimed that the alignment of the road was revised and changed several times.

"But we're trying to complete the work by June 2025," he added.

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