Potholed road causing commuters’ woes

With numerous potholes and cracks, around a 20km stretch on Kaliganj- Kushtia road has become a bumpy journey for commuters, thanks to the negligence of the authorities.

Passengers and drivers said that the 20km stretch of the road is now in terrible condition. The road is riddled with potholes that make it difficult for vehicles to ply on it.  Drivers of the vehicles have expressed their frustration at the difficulty of driving vehicles on the battered road.

Persistent rain this monsoon has caused extensive damage to the road.

Moreover, the potholes on the road have increased the risk of accidents, they said.

The worst affected spots are Bishoykhali Bazar in Jhenidah Sadar, Garaganj Bazar in Shilakupa upazila and Bittipara in Shilakupa of Jhenidah and Sheikhpara in Kushtia district.

Aminur Rahman, a bus driver, said, "We are driving the vehicles taking life risks. Fatal accidents may occur anytime due to the battered road. The authority concerned should take an immediate step in this regard."

A trucker, Abdus Salam, said that they were having great difficulty driving their vehicles on the road.

When the road was smooth, it would take only 90 minutes to reach Kushtia from Kaliganj but now it takes over two hours to cross the same distance, he also said.

Echoing the same, Ariful Islam, a CNG-run auto-rickshaw diver, said that minor accidents are occurring on the road frequently due to potholes.

Mukul Jyoti Basu, sub-divisional executive engineer of the Roads and Highways Department, Jhenidah, said that he has forwarded the estimated maintenance cost of the road to the concerned authority.

The road will be brought under maintenance after the allocation is made available, he added.