Kamalganj road project worth over Tk 3.5 crore stalled for three years over forest department objection

Paving work on a one-and-a-half-kilometre rural road in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar has remained stalled for three years due to objections from the forest department. As a result, the Tk 1.36 crore road project lies unfinished, and the “Kawargala Bridge”, built at a cost of nearly Tk 2 crore at the far end of the road, is of no use.

Local residents have expressed strong anger as more than Tk 3.5 crore of government development work has effectively been abandoned because of a lack of coordination between the forest department and the LGED.

According to sources, the LGED took the initiative in the 2018-19 fiscal year, under the Rural Access Improvement Project, to pave the one-and-a-half-kilometre stretch of the Adkhanibazar-via-Kawargala road beside the Rajkandi forest in Adampur union of Kamalganj.

The work, costing Tk 1.36 crore, was awarded to the Dhaka Motijheel-based contracting firm “MU and GU (JB)”.

Soon after work began, the Adampur forest beat of the Rajkandi forest range wrote to the LGED objecting to the road construction. Despite the objection, initial macadam and brick-chip laying work continued.

Later, in 2021, direct obstruction by the forest department brought the work to a complete halt. As the complications were not resolved, the LGED head office ordered the cancellation of the project’s tender on 2 November 2023, permanently freezing the paving work.

Meanwhile, allegations have emerged that the contracting firm was paid Tk 58 lakh in two instalments in 2020 and 2021, even before 30 percent of the work was completed. Locals claim the contractor was paid more than the work visible on the ground.

A visit to the site shows large potholes where brick chips have come off in various parts of the Adkhanibazar-via-Kawargala road. In places the road has sunk, and in others grass and weeds have grown between the chips. From a distance, there is no way to tell that this was once part of a paving project.

In particular, the nearly 500-metre stretch inside the Rajkandi forest is covered in dense bushes, making even walking there dangerous.

On the other hand, with no scope for vehicles to use the road, the Kawargala Bridge, built at a cost of nearly Tk 2 crore over a hilly stream at the far end, has now taken on a haunted look. With no connecting road, the way onto the bridge is blocked. Left unused for years, it is now covered in creepers all around.

Zahir Rayhan, a resident of Dakshin Konagaon village, said angrily: “After the chips were laid, there has been no further progress. Even if there were complications inside the forest, at least the part inside the village could have been paved. Now it is difficult even to walk on the broken road, let alone drive.”

Parvez Mia of Kawargala village said a bridge was built at a cost of crores of taka, yet it lies closed for want of a road. If people do not benefit from such a large government allocation, who is responsible?

Abdal Hossain, chairman of Adampur Union Parishad, said the region’s transport system would have changed radically if the road and bridge had become operational. Ordinary people are paying the price for the lack of coordination between the forest department and the LGED, he said, adding that he would raise the matter with higher authorities soon to ease people’s suffering.

Kamalganj Upazila Engineer Saiful Azam said the work had to be stopped on the head office’s instruction because of the forest department’s objection. The contractor was paid bills in accordance with the rules for the work that was done, he said, adding that whether an alternative solution can be found through discussion with the forest department, in the public interest, is being examined.