<i>Piles of problems fail to awake city fathers</i>

(L-R): Pavement as well as a part of the road at Rajabazar in Bogra town remains under the occupation of shopkeepers and traders, narrowing the space meant for movement of people. Heap of garbage on the road adjacent to Mojibor Rahman Women's College in Bogra town. The photo was taken a few days ago.Photo: STAR

Over five lakh residents of Bogra town are suffering from various problems including traffic jam, occupation of footpaths and roads by hawkers and clogged sewerage, exposing the municipality authorities' utter failure to ensure civic amenities for the town dwellers.
“Traders and hawkers have occupied most of the footpaths at Boragola, Rajabazar, Fotialibazar, Kabi Nazrul Islam Road, Shatmatha and adjacent areas in the town. Nearly five kilometres out of a total 32 kilometres of footpath has already been occupied," said Bogra municipality Mayor AKM Mahbubur Rahman.
Municipality authorities issued licenses for 5,456 rickshaws and 3000 vans but more than 10 thousand rickshaws move in the town without valid documents, he said.
Town dwellers, however, assume that at least 25 thousand rickshaws and over six thousand unauthorised vans ply the roads and lanes in 14 square kilometre area centring Shatmatha intersection in the town.
Movement of a large number of rickshaws and vans create heavy traffic jam in Borogola, Rajabazar, Fotialibazar and some other commercial areas in the town almost every day.
About five years ago, Bogra municipality authorities expanded its area from 15 kilometres to 70 square kilometres.
The authorities have constructed 21 new drains in Bogra town spending Tk 11 crore to improve sewerage system in the expanded area, said the mayor.
But at least 50 kilometre out of a total 146.26 kilometre drains have remained clogged for a long time due to lack of maintenance and faulty sewerage development planning, said officials.
A part of the cleaning work including that of the dustbins was handed over to some privately run community-based organisations but the initiative has failed to bring expected results due to lack of proper supervision by the municipality authority, said advocate Al-Mahmud, president of Bogra district unit of Sujan.
Most of the roads and footpaths at Jaleswaritola and Malotinagor and other residential areas like Katnarpara in Bogra town have been occupied for construction materials.
"I established my business about four years ago on a footpath at Shatmatha area in Bogra town," said lock repairing shop owner Auib Ali, 27.
Mayor Mahbubur Rahman said that the authority has decided to evict illegal occupiers from footpaths and roads after the Ramadan.