DUMURIA, KHULNA, June 29: The Shahapur-Daulatpur Road, locally known as Mohsin Road, in Dumuria Upazila of Khulna has turned into a virtual death trap due to years of neglect and the absence of proper maintenance, causing immense hardship for thousands of commuters and transport operators.
The bitumen surface has peeled off across much of the road, leaving countless potholes of varying sizes. During rainfall, the craters fill with water, making them difficult to detect and increasing the risk of accidents. In the dry season, clouds of dust make travel equally difficult.
Residents say the deteriorating road has become a daily ordeal.
Salahuddin and Rasel Gazi, two residents of Shahapur Village, said travelling on the road has become "a punishment."
"It has become almost impossible to transport critically ill patients or pregnant women to hospitals. We want a permanent solution, not temporary repairs," they said.
A visit to the area found that large sections of the road between Shahapur and Daulatpur have lost their asphalt surface entirely.
The road is a vital transport route for the agriculture-based region, through which large quantities of vegetables and fish are transported daily to Khulna city and the Daulatpur wholesale market.
Responding to the complaints, Dumuria Upazila Engineer of the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) Darul Huda said the authorities were fully aware of the public suffering.
"This is one of the busiest roads in the area. Heavy goods vehicles and recent continuous rainfall have severely damaged the road surface, creating large potholes and disrupting traffic," he said.
He said LGED has already completed a detailed assessment of the damage and prepared an estimate for a comprehensive reconstruction project.
"A development project proposal (DPP) has been sent to the higher authorities for approval to rebuild and modernise the road using durable technology. Once approved, the tender process will begin immediately," he said.
Before the permanent work begins, LGED plans to carry out emergency repairs.
"We will soon fill the major potholes with brick chips to make the road temporarily usable. The emergency maintenance work will be carried out using maintenance funds so that vehicles can travel more safely until the permanent reconstruction starts," the engineer added.
Dumuria Upazila Nirbahi Officer Sabita Sarkar said the administration was treating the issue with importance.
"We are aware of the hardship being faced by local residents and traders due to the poor condition of the Shahapur-Daulatpur road. Necessary instructions have already been given to LGED to expedite repair work. We hope development work will begin soon in the public interest," she said.
Residents, however, said they no longer want temporary patchwork repairs or repeated assurances. They demanded immediate and durable reconstruction of the road, describing it as a key transport corridor for the local economy and communication network in Khulna.
