Thousands of villagers suffer for deplorable road at Nabinagar

NABINAGAR, B’BARIA, Sept 20: The 38-kilometre regional highway from Nabinagar to the Bancharampur ferry terminal is in a poor state, with 135 risky bends, narrow stretches and damaged sections making travel difficult for thousands of people.

More than 3,000 vehicles use the road every day, often at considerable risk. In many places, the road is so narrow that two vehicles cannot pass each other easily. Potholes, broken sections and a series of sharp bends further add to the hazards.

People from at least 20 to 30 villages in the two upazilas regularly use the road. They travel along it to reach the Koroikandi ferry terminal in Bancharampur and cross the river before continuing through Araihazar to Dhaka, Narayanganj and Narsingdi.

Locals say three major problems �" the narrow road, numerous bends and waiting at the ferry terminal �" have severely disrupted transportation in the area.

Even when travelling to Dhaka for emergencies, it is often difficult for passengers to predict how long the journey will take, they said.

After years of suffering, a major project has finally been taken up to improve the road.

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved a project worth around Tk 1,135 crore on April 4, 2023. Under the project, the road will be widened and reconstructed to make it more durable, while existing bends will be straightened.

The existing route, which is around 57 kilometres long, will be shortened to about 32.5 kilometres through a new alignment and the straightening of bends. This is expected to make travel faster and safer.

However, locals say their biggest expectation is the proposed Koroikandi-Bishnandi bridge over the Meghna.

The proposed bridge, around 3.13 kilometres long, is expected to significantly reduce dependence on ferries once built.
Mohammad Yunus Ali, Executive Engineer of the Roads and Highways Department in Brahmanbaria, said the project for the Bhulta-Bancharampur-Nabinagar road was being implemented in five packages.

“Work orders have already been issued for four packages. The comparative statement for the remaining package has been prepared and is awaiting approval from the ministry,” he said.

Meanwhile, Abdul Mannan, lawmaker from Brahmanbaria-5 (Nabinagar), has raised the poor condition of the Araihazar-Bishnandi-Bancharampur-Nabinagar road in the parliament.

Locals demanded that authorities give equal priority to completing the road project quickly, resolving complications over land acquisition and taking steps to construct the proposed bridge over the Meghna.