Agitation mounts for repair of road to Burimari land port

As on previous three days, processions and rallies were held in Jaldhaka yesterday at the call of Jaldhaka Swartha Sangrakhakhan Committee' (committee to safeguard interest of Jaldhaka) demanding immediate repair of the road.

Speakers at the rallies held at different points on the rugged road in Jaldhaka threatened of tougher agitation including an indefinite barricade of the road if repair work does not begin soon.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

On Wednesday, demonstrators barricaded the road for two hours and held a big rally at a vulnerable point of the road near Jaldhaka Bazar.

At that rally, president of Greater Rangpur Exporters Importers Association and convenor of Jaldhaka Swartha Sangrakhakhan Committee' Shamsuzzaman Shamu declared that the road vital for export-import would be barricaded for an indefinite period to stop activities at Burimari land port if repair work is not started within 15 days.

Sources said, 58 kilometre portion of the road is under Water Development Board (WDB) and the rest 30 kilometers under Road and Highways (R&H) Department.

When contacted, WDB sources said they have no fund to repair the road so they want to hand over the road to the R & H Department. But R & H authorities refused to take over it as they do not have funds for its repair, WDB sources said.

Repair of the road was an election pledge of Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, ruling party lawmaker from Jaldhaka.

When asked yesterday, he said wrote a letter to the prime minister in December last year to draw her attention.

The prime minister's office directed the WDB secretary to hand over the road to R & H Department, which was done without delay.

After that the R & H Department submitted a Tk 38 crore proposal to the Planning Commission. It is awaiting Planning Commission's approval, the lawmaker added.