Sorrow of Sakhipur
The road becomes muddy in rain, causing sufferings to thousands of villagers
Residents of at least ten villages have been suffering immensely for long due to the three-kilometre muddy road from Borochowna area to Namdarpur area in Sakhipur upazila of the district.
The people of Borochowna, Shuknar Chhit, Binnoripara, Charbaida, Sultan Nagar, Khaliar Baid, Abed Nagar, Ikuria Para, Ghonabari, and Namdarpur villages have to move on the muddy road regularly, locals said.
There are around 200 agricultural, poultry and dairy farms in the villages, and the road is the only way to go to those places, they said.
Rain makes the road almost impassable for people on foot or on any vehicle. Sometimes, passengers of rickshaws, vans and three-wheelers have to help in pulling the vehicles out of the mud, they added.
Several hundred students of different educational institutions, including Borochowna School and Borochowna-Kutubpur College, in the area use the road regularly, said Ismail Hossain, a resident of the area.
The students have to walk through the thick mud after folding their trousers, he said, adding that they sometimes slip on the muddy road, dirtying their uniforms and books.
"Poultry farm owners in the area have to spend Tk 100 to Tk 200 instead of only Tk 20 to Tk 50 as rickshaw van fare to take poultry feed to the farms only two to three kilometres from Borochowna Bazar," poultry farm owner Sabuj Miah of the area said.
"Athough local people have been requesting the authorities through the local public representatives to build a concrete road on the three-kilometre area, nothing has been done so far," he added.
Halim Miah, president of a committee formed by the villagers to implement the road construction, said people of the area struggle to take their products to the local markets.
"The authorities concerned should build a concrete road as soon as possible considering the woes of several thousand villagers," he added.
Upazila Engineer in Sakhipur Kazi Fahad Quddus said a tender has been called for constructing a-one-kilometre-long section of the road and the work will be started after the rainy season ends.
"A proposal will also be sent for constructing the remaining two kilometres of the road,” he added.