Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Reg No- 06
বাংলা
   
Saturday | 11 January 2025 | Epaper
BREAKING: ● Some people trying to divide national unity      ● 'Money laundering stopped due to good governance establishment'      ● Govt enforces zero-tolerance on communal attacks, orders arrests      ● Manju made president, Fuad general secretary of AB Party      ● 'Awami League's registration depends on time'      ● Body of RUET student recovered from a mess      ● Myanmar military air strike kills dozens in Rakhine village, UN says       

Tk 12cr walkway damaged in six months in Meherpur District

Published : Sunday, 5 January, 2025 at 12:00 AM  Count : 14
MR Alam
MEHERPUR, Jan 4:  Water Development Board (WDB) constructed HBB walkways of bricks on both sides of the Bhairab River in Sadar and Mujibnagar upazilas of the district to enhance their beauty. 

The walkways have been raised at about Tk 12 crore.  

A total of 18.5 kilometres (km) of the walkway was constructed in Ujalpur, Govipur, Jadavpur, Rajapur, Bandar, amd Chakshyamnagar areas in the Sadar Upazila and Gopalnagar and Ramnagar in Mujibnagar Upazila and some villages on the bank of the  river.

The construction of the project was completed in July last year. But within six months of the construction, erosion occurred in most parts of the walkway; some places were completely devoured by the river. 

Locals alleged, the WDB forcibly occupied lands without acquiring the land and constructed the  walkway with low-quality materials. 

The contractor completed the construction of the walkway ignoring all obstacles as it was a special project of former public administration minister Farhad Hossain.

According to sources at the WDB-Meherpur, the contracting firm  Shaikat Enterprise-Kushtia  completed the 18.5km construction work at Tk 11.90 crore.

Locals said, the work was fully supervised by the former minister's people and the WDB.

Walkways were raised by using low-quality materials in collusion with officials. Good quality sand and bricks were asked to use. 

No measures were taken to protect the drainage pipes and the soil on the banks.

Nahid of Jadavpur Village,  said, 
During the construction, we did not get any benefit. On the contrary, we were threatened with extortion cases for protests. Low-quality materials were used. So, walkways started to break."

A vegetable trader Mohibul Hasan, who uses the walkway, aid, "Earlier, it was possible for us to go on the muddy road. Now, the road has been damaged, and we are facing a lot of difficulties."

He was echoed by farmers Nazrul and Paban.

A local, Firoza Begum said, the WDB somehow forcibly occupied two plots of land and built the walkway; the land was not acquired from anyone officially; they forcibly occupied that land because of the muscle power of some local political leaders.
 
Abdul Hannan, executive engineer of the WDB-Meherpur, said, the broken places will be repaired quickly after talking with the contractor.

He denied grabbing anyone's land. Walkways have been built on both sides of the Bhairab River in accordance with the 2013 River Conservation Act. 



LATEST NEWS
MOST READ
Also read
Clarion call of martyred Wasim motivated people to join July movement
Bean turns beneficial to Sonargaon farmers 
Two arrested for illegal sand lifting in Manikganj
5 nabbed with drugs in Kurigram, Ctg 
Low-quality materials used in road construction at Amtali
Two held with firearms in Khagrachhari
One detained with foreign currencies in Panchagarh
Shotgun recovered from Lalmohan school ground 
Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
Published by the Editor on behalf of the Observer Ltd. from Globe Printers, 24/A, New Eskaton Road, Ramna, Dhaka.
Editorial, News and Commercial Offices : Aziz Bhaban (2nd floor), 93, Motijheel C/A, Dhaka-1000.
Phone: PABX- 41053001-06; Online: 41053014; Advertisement: 41053012.
E-mail: district@dailyobserverbd.com, news©dailyobserverbd.com, advertisement©dailyobserverbd.com, For Online Edition: mailobserverbd©gmail.com
🔝
close