A 1.5km road becomes a monsoon nightmare for 50,000 people

Every monsoon, farmer Mojibor Rahman of Takuria village hoists sacks of produce onto his back and walks the 1.5 kilometres to Aramnagar Bazar -- “Because no van or rickshaw driver will risk the mud-drowned road that runs past my home,” he reflected. 

For Abdur Razzaq, a mathematics teacher at Char Girish M Mansur Ali High School in Kazipur, the same stretch of road is the only route to his workplace from the Sarishabari upazila headquarters.

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"Once the rains set in, the journey becomes gruelling," he said.

The hardship is shared by more than 50,000 residents of 25 villages -- 15 in Kazipur upazila of Sirajganj and 10 in Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur. For them, the 1.5-kilometre road connecting Kumariabari Bazar to the Jhalupara Bridge area via Char Sarishabari Moddhopara in Satpoa union is the only direct link to schools, colleges, markets, and the upazila and district headquarters.

During a recent visit, this correspondent found several sections of the road submerged after rainfall, forcing pedestrians to wade through thick mud while making it impassable for vehicles.

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Photo: Star

As most higher educational institutions are located in the Sarishabari upazila headquarters, students are among those who suffer the most during the monsoon. For many residents, the problem has persisted for decades.

"Our suffering during the rainy season is beyond description," said Altaf Hossain of Salgram village in Kazipur, alleging that successive governments have ignored residents' demands to pave the road for the past 50 years.

Sharif Miah of Char Sarishabari village said that although the road has remained unpaved for more than half a century, it continues to be a lifeline for people living in the char areas.

Shakil Ahmed, a member of Satpoa Union Parishad, said repeated assurances have never translated into action. "Each time, we are told the road will be paved, but no visible initiative has been taken," he said.

Contacted, LGED Sarishabari Upazila Engineer Golam Kibria Tomal acknowledged the residents' hardship. "We have already sent a proposal to the higher authorities. Once it is approved, construction work will begin," he said.