Photo shows the damaged Tahirpur-Badaghat frontier road that stretches from Tahirpur upazila headquarters to Badaghat border in Sunamganj district — FE Photo SYLHET, Sept 12: The much-talked-about Tahirpur-Badaghat frontier road in Sunamganj district has been run-down and usable for 30 years, leaving commuters in trouble.
The road constructed in 1993 from Tahirpur upazila headquarters to Badaghat border has badly been hit by floods in recent times.
The authorities have failed to start work on the road even after a year of bidding involving Tk 99.5 crore, locals have alleged.
Some of the points on the road were washed away. Although some repairs were done on those points, it could not be done permanently causing much for the passersby and vehicles of all modes.
The inhabitants of a vast area of Tahirpur upazila and nearby upazila like Jamalganj and Madhyanagar have to use it amid risks. No major work on the road was done during the last 15 years even on repeated demands from the locals, many have alleged. Three land customs stations -Barchhara, Bagli and Charagaon - on Tahirpur border are linked to this road.
During a visit to the road, this correspondent found that 10 culverts built in Patargaon area of the 8-km road are in sorry state.
Even normal and light vehicles cannot ply through the road for its vulnerable condition. Pedestrians also suffer much while over a lakh people from Uttar Bardal, Uttar Sripur and Badaghat unions have no other alternative to using the road. Badaghat Bazar is the largest market of the area where from goods are supplied to the small ones.
Contacted, an official at the Sunamganj district LGED office said bidding on 2 packages worth Tk 99.5 crore were finalised on o4 October last year. But contractors didn't start it as yet. However, they assured work will start in a short time, the official claimed.
The coal and stone importers or traders of the region have to do banking related works in the district town. Besides, visitors from upazila headquarters to Shimulbagan. Barika Tila, Niladri Lake and Lakmachhara sites have to use the same road. The 2-km road from Hosnarghat to patargaon portion is kutcha yet. The six-km from Patargaon to Badaghat is just unusable and risky as no repair had been done in years. Even after light rain, it is very difficult to drive motorbikes, said Ataur Rahman of Tahirpur.
Besides, few hundred young people are dependent on driving motorcycles commercially to transport people on the road.
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