Public sufferings mount as Jashore roads in sorry state

BENAPOLE, Feb 06: Some 7,000 kilometres of roads in Jashore district has remained dilapidated for a long time, causing immense sufferings for local people.
Jhikargacha-Bakra Abul Islam Road stretching from Beziatala Saw Mill to three educational institutions in Raghunathnagar has remained unpaved.
As the road is not paved, students have to walk more than two kilometres to reach the educational institutions.
Raghunathnagar Babar Ali Sardar Special Disability School President Abdul Alim said one has to travel over two kilometres to reach the educational institutions due to the dilapidation of only one kilometre road.
Local people, especially schoolchildren with disabilities, have to suffer a lot to go through the road.
Some 6,925.2km roads are now in a state of dilapidation. Of them, 1,532.4km has partially been paved.
About seven kilometres of road has been paved between Dhalgram, Dohakula and Jamdia union of Bagharpara upazila.
The people of 15-20 villages, including Khalshi, Baharampur, Nawapara, Mamudalipur, Baulia, Baliadanga, Barbhag and Dhalgram, have to travel this road.
Locals said they have to suffer much while walking the road in the rainy season.
According to Jashore Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) sources, Manirampur upazila belongs to 1,800.80km roads while Keshavpur to 1257.80km, Abhaynagar to 993.50km, Bagharpara to 1,077.40km, Chougacha to 886.70km, Jhikargacha to 1,146.50km, Jashore Sadar to 1,516.90km and Sharsha to 1,182.70km.
Chougacha Upazila Engineer Riyasad Imtiaz said they have taken initiative to repair the unpaved roads.
"A proposal for a project has already been sent to the ministry concerned. If approved, the roads will be repaired," he added.
Shariful Islam, executive engineer of the LGED, Jashore, said, "We renovate 150km roads every year. We're renovating the roads that are partially broken."
"The present government has paid more attention to rural road repair. We're also trying to make the government's initiative a success.
Different unpaved roads in Jashore will be repaired under the LGED in the next fiscal year as well.

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