Road in Kamalganj stalled for three years over forest department objection, Tk 2 crore bridge lies unused

Paving work on a one-and-a-half-kilometre rural road in Kamalganj upazila of Moulvibazar has remained stalled for three years following objections from the Forest Department. As a result, the Tk 1.36 crore road project lies unfinished, and the Kawaragola bridge built at its end at a cost of nearly Tk 2 crore serves no purpose.

Local residents have expressed deep anger that more than Tk 3.5 crore of public development work has effectively been abandoned because of a lack of coordination between the Forest Department and the Local Government Engineering Department (LGED).

According to sources, LGED took up the paving of the 1.5-kilometre stretch of the Adkhanibazar-via-Kawaragola road beside the Rajkandi forest in Adamapur union in the 2018-19 fiscal year, under the Rural Access Improvement Project. The Tk 1.36 crore work was awarded to the Dhaka contractor firm MU and GU (JB) of Motijheel.

Soon after work began, the Adamapur forest beat of the Rajkandi forest range wrote to LGED objecting to the road construction. Despite the objection, initial macadam and brick-chip laying continued. In 2021, direct obstruction by the Forest Department brought the work to a complete halt.

With the complication unresolved, LGED headquarters ordered the cancellation of the project tender on 2 November 2023, bringing the paving work to a permanent standstill.

Meanwhile, allegations have surfaced that the contractor was paid Tk 58 lakh in two instalments in 2020 and 2021, before even 30 percent of the work was done. Locals say the contractor was paid more than the work visible on the ground.

A visit to the site shows brick chips uprooted from the Adkhanibazar-via-Kawaragola road, leaving large potholes. In places the road has sunk, and grass and weeds have grown through the gaps in the brick chips. From a distance, there is no way to tell that this was once part of a paving project.

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

At the far end, the Kawaragola bridge built over a hilly stream at a cost of nearly Tk 2 crore now looks deserted. With no connecting road, the way onto the bridge is blocked. Unused for years, it is now covered in creepers all around.

Jahir Rayhan, a resident of Dakshin Konagaon village, said in anger that there has been no progress since the brick chips were laid. Even with complications inside the forest, at least the portion inside the village could have been paved. Now it is difficult to walk on the broken road, let alone drive on it.

Parvez Mia of Kawaragola 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?

Adamapur Union Parishad Chairman Abdal Hossain said the road and bridge would have transformed communications in the area. Ordinary people are suffering because of the lack of coordination between the Forest Department and LGED. He said he would soon raise the matter with higher authorities to ease people's suffering.

Kamalganj Upazila Engineer Saiful Azam said the work had to be stopped on headquarters' instructions because of the Forest Department's objection. Bills were paid to the contractor following the rules, according to the work done. Considering public interest, he said, they are examining whether an alternative solution can be found through discussion with the Forest Department.