A culvert built at a cost Tk 30 lakh stands idle, bringing misery to the residents of three villages in Kashiani upazila of Gopalganj due to the absence of connecting roads.
Recently, the demise of a local resident named Sahib Ali added to the woes as his funeral procession encountered a mishap on the way to the graveyard. Furthermore, villagers frequently experience minor accidents while traversing the culvert.
Situated along the Kashiani-Rahuthar road, a canal faces encroachment and pollution, marked by the construction of a new culvert costing Tk 29 lakh 68 thousand by the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC) in the last financial year. However, the failure to build connecting roads complicates travel, making it arduous to navigate the culvert. Consequently, the transportation of deceased individuals for burial becomes a distressing ordeal.
The Eidgah, situated to the right after crossing the culvert, and the cemetery on the left, pose challenges for villagers, especially the elderly ones, who often fall victim to accidents. With approximately thirty thousand people residing in Pona, Pinglia, and Kashiani villages, the lack of infrastructure amplifies the difficulties faced by the community.
Expressing the plight of the locals, Nazrul Islam of Pona village emphasized the urgent need for a connecting road, stating that the absence of one significantly hampers the process of transporting bodies to the cemetery, leading to injuries and accidents. Residents demand a resolution to alleviate the suffering by constructing the much-needed connecting road.
Md. Fayekuzzaman from Pona village highlighted the historical practice of using bamboo or wooden planks for crossing the canal, which became obsolete with the construction of the Box Culvert under the Greater Faridpur Irrigation Area Development Project. However, the absence of a connecting road has exacerbated the situation, causing more hardships and accidents.
Gopalganj BADC Executive Engineer Azizul Islam acknowledged the issue, stating that higher authorities have been notified about the necessity of constructing a connecting road near the cemetery in Pona village. The tender process has been initiated as per instructions, with expectations that the invitation will be completed shortly, paving the way for the construction of the crucial connecting road.
