'I beg for this road,' MP Hasnat pleads in Parliament

Cumilla-4 lawmaker Hasnat Abdullah said he was "begging" the House for widening of a dangerously narrow highway in his constituency, revealing that three people had died in a road accident there just moments before he rose to speak.

"At the very moment you gave me permission to speak, three people in my Debidwar constituency have just died. Their funeral prayers are being prepared right now. This happens every day in Debidwar," the Jatiya Nagorik Party lawmaker told the House during a point of order, his voice heavy with frustration.

Hasnat Abdullah said the Cumilla-Sylhet connecting road passing through Debidwar is just 18 feet wide despite being the sole route linking Chattogram and Sylhet divisions and serving as a lifeline for over one million people across three upazilas including Debidwar, Burichang, and Brahmanpara. He said 23 people have been killed in accidents on this stretch in the current month alone.

"There is no road in the country that connects two divisional highways and is only 18 feet wide. This road has turned into a procession of death," he said, adding that administrative complications have prevented any work on widening the highway for 10 to 12 years.

The lawmaker made an unusually personal plea to his fellow parliamentarians. "The road is not wide enough, and I cannot show my face to the people of my area. They will tie me up. I beg for this road in the interest of the people. I beg you, please take immediate steps to widen it. This road will save the lives of 10 lakhs of people," he said, requesting the Speaker to direct the relevant minister to take urgent action.

Deputy Speaker Kaysar Kamal, who was presiding over the session, advised the lawmaker to submit a formal notice under Rule 71 of parliamentary procedure to bring the matter for official discussion.